Starring:
Date: November 28, 2012
Summary:
With nothing to lose and everything to gain, Chiaki was racing through the trees of the Marsh in search of gaining a scroll after already losing one. She comes upon a suspicious makeshift bed of leaves and debris in a set of entwined branches. Feeling she has the upper hand, she goes in for a sneak attack and a fast victory, only to discover she's in for one long night.
Poster's note: foul language filtered in obvious places.
"Second Promotion Exams – The Viper and the Icy Mist: Chiaki vs. Sakuryu"
Blood Marsh - Shadowed Canopy [Kirigakure]
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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.
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Log:
Night still covered the swamp and rain pours down from the sky, although most of it can not pierce the thick forest canopy. Chiaki crouches down low on each of the branches, already in her animilistic form as she makes her way through the canopy. Anyone who only knew her normal form would likely have a hard time recognizing her. She was much taller than usual, was covered in scales, and had a tail. As she leaps through the trees she made sure to be one with the shadows as she searched for another person to prey on. Having lost her scroll to a leaf genin she was starting to get desperate. She couldn't just give up because of a little bad luck and go back to Tsiro or Fuuta for that matter empty handed. Fuuta would shower her in autographs as punishment, and she wasn't sure what Tsiro would do. It couldn't have been good though. She pauses her search behind some leaves as she scans the ground and the branches around her. It wouldn't be long before she found someone who could feel the sharp sting of her venom.
Sakuryu sighs softly, settling into her leaf bed. She had made camp high in the tree tops where people most likely wouldn't find her. She had been in the marshes before in order to even become a genin. She was using the tactics she did before. Stay high, stay hidden, and wait for the right moment to strike. She would most likely fail if she rushed into battle. No rather than be foolish she would observe her competitors to see their strengths and weaknesses, make a few alliances then strike when the moment was best. But currently she wasn't doing any of that, just hiding out under cover of canvas and leaves high up in the bent branches of the twisted swamp willows.
Chiaki flicks her snake-like tongue in the air attempting to pick up any scents she could trace, but still they all just blended together. It was like having a sixth sense that she just couldn't understand. She curses in her head, but continues searching the canopy. The last opponent she faced was up in the trees, so she likely stood a good chance of finding another. Besides, she felt at home up here for some reason. Lots of shadows to blend in with, and lots of angles she could strike from. She pauses on another tree branch to sniff the air again. There wasn't any time to think about anything else, right now she was no longer Mizukiyo Chiaki but instead she was a viper on the prowl.
Sakuryu settles in a little more, just resting against her leaves remembering not to move too much. She didn't want to disturb her covering or make any unnatural rustling noises. Especially here at night when it would be a perfect time for an ambush, anyone could come along and take her out with ease so she had to be on the alert, just in case of such a thing she quickly and quietly moves through the hand signs to begin the revealing mist jutsu. Slowly her chakra became manifest with the natural humidity of the swamp along with the rain to create a very thick almost cloud like cold mist which would hang eerily in the air, now someone would have to be dead or be very subtle to escape her now ever watchful gaze.
Chiaki finally picks up on something, a scent that wasn't there before. She looks up above her and spots Sakuryu's resting place. The mist coming from around it made it rather obvious to Chiaki now that she actually spotted it. She simply stares at it in thought for a few long moments attempting to formulate a plan quickly. She knew she couldn't take anyone without making the proper preparations. Remaining in the shadows she gets closer to Sakuryu's position climbing a little up the base of the tree. As she climbed she began focusing on her ki preparing for that opening strike. She does not come out just yet though and remains hidden, unless Sakuryu could figure out her position it was only a matter of time.
Sakuryu hmmns softly, seems she might get away clear tonight…. the jutsu wasn't picking up anything yet so she might actually be able to sleep for a while tonight, she had stayed up the past night and the night before, just setting in waiting only taking small naps to settle her nerves and get rest. It seems Chiaki's moves are too subtle for Sakuryu to notice in the walls of her mist.
As Chiaki gets nearer she manages to notice the identity of her prey, Sakuryu a fellow genin of Kiri. This does cause her to hesitate in debate for a moment as she draws her senbon, but ultimately she decides that it is for the best that she at least sees whether or not she had a scroll to offer her. Finally she throws one of her senbon coated in her special concoction ahead of her and leaps from the shadows onto Sakuryu's canopy bed. She waits for a moment simply staring at her with her yellow eyes and speaks up. "If you have a scroll then it is best to hand it over before you get hurt. If you do not then I will search your unconscious body to make sure you aren't lying…I am sorry Sakuryu-chan, but here it does not matter whether or not you were my ally on the outside..in here you are a target." With that said she moves ahead and tries to get in a couple more jabs at Sakuryu in an attempt to put even more of her poison into the girl's system.
Saku doesn't even notice the attack coming, she feels the poison hit and manages to get hit by the first swipe, on the second attack she manages to quickly form the hand signs so that the woman's attack only hits the solid ice of her clone. "C…chiaki!?" she asks with a blink dashing back quickly with the effect of the poison soon becoming evident, her head spinning a bit. "Nngh, I don't even have a scroll! it got taken by a leaf ninja on the first day!" She says as she builds up her chakra, focusing her body's energy to let her powers transcend to the next level.
As She builds her power Saku's hair turns a sparkling white, looking as if made of fresh fallen snow, her skin turning to the most pale white possible almost as if a porcelain doll, her soft blue eyes becoming sharper and more crystal blue as she braces herself ready to fight back as she throws a few warning attacks just in case.
Chiaki glares at Sakuryu as she manages to preemptively dodge the majority of the strikes, but gets caught off guard as a few from the last wave manage to hit her. She pauses for a moment and continues watching Sakuryu before shaking her head. The poison was having way more of an effect on her than any other target she's seen. “Sakuryu-chan, it is best if you simply hand over your scroll. You are skilled in hiding it took me some time to become aware of your position…so I doubt you would have allowed a leaf nin to take your scroll the first day. As I said, if you are lyng to me I am not afraid to fight you til you reach your limit..which it is obvious you are well on your way there…” She quickly moves closer to the other girl to stab a few more senbon into Sakuryu attempting to make her more compliant from the pain.
Sakuryu curses a little bit "I'm not lying frost it! I don't have a scroll, leave me be so I can recuperate I'm already injured that's why your poisons working." She pants a little bit as she shakes her head refocusing herself with a little stretch not managing to dodge the senbon coming at her she curses. "fine! Take my new moves to heart, I hope they kill you." She says with a tone of black furied anger her hands flickering through the signs quickly.
As Saku would do the hand signs the needles that were now scattered around the trees would flourish soon from them would sprout, the ice forming up into the form of a giant lotus made of ice, each bloom moving to try and trap Chiaki within itself. As she would inevitably dodge Saku would throw her new weapons, A few senbon would fly at her… only they were odd shaped they were bendy with backwards thorns. Whatever they contact Chiaki would notice that on impact the thorns would help dig into their target and the tip would blossom forth the tip flaring out into the twisted petals of a rose made of ice.
Chiaki smirks as she sees Sakuryu's anger taking control of her, that would hinder her focus, which gives Chiaki even more of an edge. "Sure, I suppose that would be a valid reason..but then again you could just be too weak to fight them off even in your top condition. A viper doesn't trust her prey." She attempts to weave out of the path from the giant lotus but gets caught in it. She growls as she could feel the ice searing into her skin, but still the roses do not manage to find their way to Chiaki as she still struggles to survive until finally she just has to give in to the cold. "Y-you best hope I do not get out of here…The rat that bites the viper back does not live very l-long.." Her teeth chatter as she tries focusing on the fight, she couldn't let Sakuryu get away until she was absolutely sure that she had nothing to offer her.
Sakuryu curses under her breath before grinning at the lotus' capture. "Well, I still don't have a scroll but I'm not gonna stick here to explain it!" she says as she forms the hand signs, a new heavy fog rolling in with the thick mist already around them to create a nice heavy blanket of water vapor to escape in Saku not wasting her chance to get away, tossing a few more roses before dashing another direction silently to throw her off the trail.
Chiaki snarls and immediately destroys her ice prison smashing it angrily with her fists until she broke free. She glares in the direction Sakuryu ran in, dashing head first into the mist not caring whether or not she can see her. She yells out to Sakuryu furiously "Get back here you coward! I will poison your corpse until nothing but my venom remains in your blood!" To leave her there in that prison while she made her escape infuriated Chiaki, it just proved to Chiaki how prey-like she really was. Using any dirty tactic to try and escape from her.
Saku kept quiet as she could, she has removed her geta and is breaking left and right, making sure to put false elements on the path to throw her off before making a wide circle back behind and into an alcove hidden by branches and roots where she would stay with bated breath hoping she had escaped
Chiaki is in fight or flight mode as she searches for Sakuryu. In her running she manages to catch a glimpse of Sakuryu attempting to through her off with the breaking. A low cackle emanates from Chiaki's chest as she finds her allowing her to remain in her hiding spot as her chest heaved with anger. Finally she charges into the alcove attempting to stab her with her debilitating senbon and follows through with a few more furious stabs. She obviously didn't care whether or not she died from the onslaught, this was more than just about a scroll now. "Can't run now you can you Sakuryu-chan?!?" She laughs as she allows the hunter's blood lust to take over completely focused on Sakuryu now.
Sakuryu curses as she's found, "Get the fang away from me! I don't have a scroll you scum sucking leaf eater!" She huffs angrily as she lets her pound her needles into her poor ice clone till it's nothing but little ice chunks on the ground. She quickly formulates a plot, focusing her energy before throwing a few more roses, she doesn't even wait more than a few moments before sending another flash of chakra to them, making them bloom into the powerful ice lotus.
Chiaki cackles and shakes her head at Sakuryu honestly no longer in a human mind set that focused on any form morality, but rather an animilistic mind set that only intended on leaving her there to die. She stabs furiously at her that same blood lust in her eyes as she keeps laughing. "You shouldn't have left me there Saky-chan!! I would have let you go if you simply stayed and let me search you!! But no! You had to be a bad prey and try to leave me there! Cold and alone! Maybe you can find out if death is as cold as your ice!"
Saku cringes hard as she gets hit, her wind blades not stopping anything as she dashes back, she goes through those familiar hand signs again and escapes into the deep mist, feinting left and right, this time not making the mistake to stop as she uses her bare feet to climb the trees and move through the thick branches.
Chiaki snarls as that damned mist technique is used again today, and before the injured Sakuryu has time to scuttle away she attempts to stab her senbon into her before trying to grab her by the ankle. "I TOLD you not to RUN from me!!" She snarls as she attempts to slam her right into the tree she was trying to climb by the ankle over and over. Chiaki's chest heaves from exhaustion as she can feel herself getting closer and closer to the brink, but her rage was keeping her going.
Saku pants a little bit seeing them both fatigued, biting down on her lip at the sharp pain of the senbon in her ankle, she manages to pull all her focus into chakra, she would fight to the last moment and keep going on all she could as she continued to retreat into the mist.
Chiaki's eyes lock on her prey as she attempts to crawl away from her. She still wasn't making any movements for handing over her scroll, and Chiaki didn't feel like letting her escape yet. She immediately follows Sakuryu and stomps her foot into her back, using all the force she could muster. "Give..me…your…scroll…Or..die.." With that said she attempts to kick the back of Sakuryu's head to knock her into unconsciousness long enough for her to search. She needed to get somewhere to rest, she couldn't run on adrenaline much longer.
Sakuryu gasps and galls over unconscious coughing up blood as she plummets far below into the infectious alligator filled waters below, her body hitting with a sickening thud before slowly sliding under the muck, a few bubbles flowing up before slowly stopping, her scroll having fallen out in the fall rests on the bank covered in blood and slime
Chiaki follows down after her once the body has landed, and moves to pick up the scroll from the bank. Her knees begin to buckle under her weight as she reads over the scroll to make sure that it is indeed the real thing and not a phoney. Positive that it was authentic she slowly reverts back to her girlish form and she looks over at the body sinking into the water. "The predator..has to be stronger..than the prey to survive.." With that said she falls to one knee and grits her teeth before forcing herself to stand once again. She slowly forces each step as she walks away to find somewhere where she could recuperate safely. She could manage, a predator always manages to find a way. That's all Chiaki was, a cold blooded predator. She couldn't try to be anything else, she shouldn't even bother no matter what her friends have said. She looks back sadly over her shoulder and shakes her head before finally moving out of sight.
Usagi was leaving her regular haunt of the shadowed canopy for some other pickings, but as she came across the scene, she knew there’s been a battle already taken place. Chances are, scroll was gone, so she started inspecting the area briefly before….she looked at the signs and tracked it down to an area, and saw some bubbles in the swamp. Completely ignoring the fact that it could be an ambush for whomever did this to the other nin, Usagi runs straight in after the poor genin under the water.
It doesn't take her long, pulling her out of the water, and trying to get her on her side so she can cough up the water without having her face in the dirt, immediately pulling bandage tape from her pack and starting to go for the worst of the wounds. "Come on, don't you die on me in here…." She's working fast trying to patch her up, regardless of what else was going on. "I am not letting you die today"
Saku's body comes out with a heavy slurping lurch, the swamp does not like giving back what it has claimed. Her body heavy and laden with the nasty putrid muck of the bloody swamp water settles on the muddy sides of the water with a corpse-like slump, she's barely breathing and coated in the sickly slime only swamps can truly produce, her body is not badly damaged save for senbon marks and possible infection with broken bones accompanying, the poison though would slowly be working on her internal organs, seeping through her bloodstream to creep in and try to eat at her body's main functions, her body slowing down to a very low cold state, her already icy skin seeming to become colder now.
Sounds of battle would be echoing through the canopy, he would shift his weight around in order to go towards the directions of battle. As he sniffed the air the smell of something toxic and sickening as though it was tainted blood would be thick around this area. With a turned up noise he was able to spot a ninja from a different village and Usagi. For the most part he would remain hidden before he was clear the battle was over. Once Chiaki claimed her prize he would land softly on the ground below. "Hey need any help, perhaps there is something I can do to save her life." Isato would have his arms crossed as the smell of toxic blood is rich in the air as he shook his head.
Usagi mutters something softly under her breath. She knew of herbal remedies for this, but she had only a little left. She nonetheless pulls that out and begins to prepare it, glancing up at Isato to say. "Keep my back covered. I can snag your scroll later" More of a joke, but still. She is looking to see if she can take the antidote orally, but there doesn't seem to be enough time, and there especially doesn't appear as if she can force it down right now. She takes a moment to place it on one of the wounds, pressing down to force it into the bloodstream. she could only hope this was a basic poison, because at best, it was a basic antidote. Anything fancy, and she didn't have anything on hand to take care of it. She growls softly, her focus now on the nin in front of her. Isato is, sadly, all but ignored, but nonetheless, at least he was here to help.
Isato would smirk as he spoke "sure I got your back, just make sure to save this one. It would be a shame to kill off someone before that had the chance to reach adulthood you know." Isato eyes and ears would be outward as he focused a little chakra before smirking. "Hey Usagi if we keep meeting up like this then perhaps we should go snag two scrolls together or is it three?" Isato would be checking to see if she still had her owe before pulling off his tonfas, "don't take this the wrong way but I feel like this should've been done at home you know…in konoha less creepy places there."
Usagi is working more towards saving Sakuryu's life than worrying of scrolls right now. But she does give a quiet reply. "….three…." She closes her eyes briefly, opening them again with a deep breath. "Was trying to bait you into a fight with me so I could try and snag yours. I don't have anything to lose. You do" She is still working on the woman for now, thankfully her condition seeming to improve. "She's getting color back, and her pulse is getting a tad stronger….I don't think we're going to lose her just yet. Keep watch for crocodiles, though"
"I hear yeah, I think it would be pretty cool to fight one but eh. Nice to hear she's getting better cause she is way to pretty to die out here in this godforsaken place." Shaking his head he would be spinning his tonfa about before pausing and looking off towards the distance cause sniffing anything out is pointless with all the toxic blood around. "So when will she be able to talk?"
Usagi sighs softly. "I don't know. The competition is very rough, Isato. With most present, you're going to have to go all or go home" She sighs. "I'm probably going home, but I'm not going to give up until they check us for scrolls" She shrugs slightly, wrapping the wounds now. "As for when she can talk, when she wakes up. When that is, don't know"
"I guess the question is what we do with her body? Ain't no way I'm leaving her out here to be killed on sight. Perhaps we should take her to the medical center? But then again what happens if she's not ready to give in?" Isato would touch his chin slightly before turning towards Usagi before smiling again. "What do you think we should do Usagi?"
"Wait until she wakes up. If she wants to stay in, we let her rest, and then part ways. If she wants to go to the medical center, we drop her off at the entrance, and come back in so we can fight. She's not going to die for now, so she 'can' recover. Though how long, I don't know….she was in rough shape"
"Like you said you should go ahead I'll watch over here and besides you still need to get two scrolls. I got this." Isato would be searching for a nice hiding spot, as he touched his chin he spoke once more. "Well how does that sound?" Isato would leave the final choice to Usagi since she was the medic out of the two of them.
Usagi sighs softly. "I'll watch her. Go and get scrolls if you can. I'll take care of her in the meantime, once we get a good spot" She glances over to Isato for a few moments. "You've got the better shot at beating those who still have scrolls left than I do, Isato. Best I can do is lock 'em down, snag the scroll, and pray I'm fast enough" She gives him a small shrug, looking to gently lift Sakuryuu towards the hiding spot. "Just check in every so often, please"
"Okay will do, thank you Usagi and remember if you call me I'll be here in a flash." Smiling as he dipped down into a running stance before smirking. "Here weeeeee go!" taking off down the path that he hoped would lead him towards another scroll eyes closed and mind focused on what's going on around him. As smile is softly given to those that could see however he would be relaxed as he dashed and flipped while he ran.
