The swamps - or were they marshes? - of Kirigakure weren't exactly the brightest place in the village, with the grey skies surrounding them and the overall opaque color of the flora. Well, by definition, the Village Hidden in the Mist wasn't bright at all, but Gin supposed that comparatively this place was just bleaker than the rest of the village. Even so, it had become her home in the past year or so. Not the swamp, the village itself. Gin had gotten used to the all around grey weather and wet locations. Ugh, so much water everywhere. Then again, the country it resided in was an archipelago. Almost everything here seemed to be water-themed in one way or another. It was slightly... odd. From underwater cities to sunken caves to her own strip joint, everything was named after something having to do with some sort of body of water. Oh well, she was rarely one to judge strange quirks - she had many of them herself, including what she was doing right now. Old habits die hard.

"Nothing quite like a good piece of literature," she said as she turned to the next page of the latest novel that she had picked up in one of the shadier parts of the city: 'The Life and Times of a Hooker in Iwa - Vivid detail edition. By Shasa Reyg.' Was it pure, plotless smut? Yes, yes it was. But that was what the S rank ninja and former Kazekage was into. She read these things publicly and shamelessly, even in the presence of her children and her young students. Speaking of which, that was what she was waiting for now. She honestly didn't give a rats ass as to whether they were late or not. Hell, they could have already been there and she wouldn't notice unless they actually said something. This book was good - by her definition, anyways.

Most people would say it was trashy and hardly deserved to be called a book. Gin considered this a very personal insult. The former Kazekage often physically harmed those who expressed their distaste out loud. Sometimes, they were never seen or heard from again - likely because they wound up on the other side of the border with no recollection of who they were or how they got there. One less person to worry about in this slightly over populated city... village... whatever it was. There were too many Aisu in the place. Again, whatever. That all fell under the category of technicalities in Gin's opinion. In other words, stuff that she didn't care for or pay attention to. Meh.

There wee other things to worry about, really. Semantics had never been her concern. If anything, she was a terrible speaker, often using coarse language and crass expressions to get a point across. It had always been that way, ever since she was a kid at the orphanage. Back then, the kids living with her tended to stay away from her for that reason. Were they scared of her? Most likely. She had been an odd little thing back then, after all. Of course, she still was, just in different ways. She needed to keep a certain level of maturity, she guessed. After all, she was a mother of five and a high ranking official of a large village. She needed to guide people and set an example in one way or another - such a bother, really. But it couldn't be helped.

[Training Heaven Style: Seal Transfer Jutsu - 589/1000]

Knock knock knock...

Sheets moved as Ashley slowly rolled out of bed. who could be at the door this early in the morning? and why? there was no one that Ashley could think of that needed her, especially this early in the morning. Even the Himitsu Clan head couldn't possibly have something for her, it was like... Ashley glanced over at the clock while Yawning, and scratching her head. Then her eyes widen with shock as she realized that she had slept in quiet late. in fact it was about 1 P.M. and she would probably have slept in later if it hadn't been for whoever needed her at this moment. she scrambled to get out of her bed the rest way and then bolted down the hallway towards the front door of her house. she swung it open, as she stood before the a member of the messenger corps in all her morning glory. from her head to her toes you could tell she just got up, and you could see this in the messenger nin's face. the pure shock, and minor disgust at having slept in so late, could be picked up by even a academy student, and Ashley felt a little bit ashamed for it, but she knew there was nothing could do about it now. He let out a loud cough and shook his head a little bit to get out of his daze of pure amazement at her laziness. then he said "Himitsu, Ashley?" she nodded her head to signify that yes, that was her. Even though she would kill to be someone else at the moment so that he didn't have a name to a face. he nodded with a tiny laugh, this would be something he could hold against her forever. then he said "The Mizukage has assigned you to a Squad. You are actually scheduled to meet today. The details are in the letter." he said as he handed her a envelope, and than turned around to head back to the messenger corps HQ as he said "See you later Ashley, and good luck with you new squad!" he said laughing a tiny bit, as she closed the door, too embarrassed to even thank him for wishing her luck. Damn how late had she stayed up last night? oh right. All night. She hadn't even gotten in until about 5 in the morning. She had been working extra hard in an attempt to get her Clan's Technique down, but she just couldn't. Nothing was clicking with her, and she didn't know why, but that was besides that point, SHE HAD A SQUAD! she walked over to her kitchen table and opened the letter, setting the envelope on the table, and then slowly opening the letter its self. It read:

Dear, Himitsu Ashley

You have trained hard in the academy and become a full fledged genin. You are here by assigned to Squad Gin as their third and final member. There is a squad meeting today, and as a Squad member you are required to attend. Good luck, and may you be a tool for your squad to grow and develop as they are to you. May your adventures take you far.

- Solstice, Ayakashi

P.S. the Details as to where and when your squad is meeting is on the backside of this letter.

Ashley squealed as she read the letter. she set it down and rushed into her room, to take a quick shower, and get ready for the day. After her shower she put on her Typical outfit, and strapped a pouch for her Kunai and Shuriken onto her thigh, her head band on neck, her Demon windmill shuriken strapped to the outside of her other thigh, her right thigh to be exact, and then headed out the door. She wanted to meet her squad mates, and her Sensei this very moment, and so she practically ran to the location that the back of the letter had listed. The Swamp of Sorrow.

an hour or so later.

Ashley finally Arrived at the location listed in her letter to find that. No one else was there. granted she had been a tad bit early then the listed time, but still. for no one to be here that seemed a tad odd. OH NO. What if they had changed locations and she hadn't been informed. a billions " what if thoughts ran through her mind as she began to panic. What if had gotten lost and this wasn't where they were meeting? What if everyone had been attacked and killed? what if- suddenly her thoughts were cut off as she saw someone sitting and read- was that what she thought it was? Ashley read the title over thrice to be sure, and then she was sure. The woman sitting there was reading something that was not something that Ashley would have expected to find here. Blush crossed her face as she struggled to get some words out "G-gin Sensei?" she said in a rather quiet voice, although still audible. She had never seen Gin before but she had heard a few stories about the legendary Swordsmen, and as such her Arm wasn't that much of a surprise to her, but she still felt in Awe that she was a student of someone so powerful and strong, and to hold such a title as one of the legendary Swordsmen of the mist. Maybe Ashley could hold that title some day.

WC: 928

This was riveting stuff - riveting stuff! The main character was about to get it on with this one guy that she'd had her eyes on for a week. The wording made it seem like it had been a one sided love at first sight kind of deal. After some flirting and a real date for the hooker, it seemed like it wasn't so one sided after all. Gin was flipping the pages, reading rather quickly but with very close attention to detail. The entirety of Kiri could have likely burned down to the ground - again - right then and there and she really wouldn't have noticed. Therefore, the quiet and shy voice of her newest student didn't manage to penetrate her deep concentration.

These two characters were bound to end up together. She would stop being a hooker and turn into a housewife - a heartwarming ending, really. After a very unnecessarily descriptive sex scene filled with cheesy euphemisms and unlikely comparisons (one can only say the word "manhood" so many times before it became repetitive) the woman had decided to confess her "sinful profession" as the book described it. Gin was sure that the guy would understand. She flipped the page.

"I'm sorry, Kandi, but I can't be with a girl that has slept with that many people."

Gin was furious. This was a personal insult to her, well, person. The former Kazekage had... spent time with her fair share of both men and women. She was a widow, having lost her late husband to a smoldering pit of lava, courtesy of the previous Tsuchikage. Before that, there had been Sake and Jurou - may they both rest in piece - along with numerous one night stands and two week flings along the way. Also four children. Of different fathers.

In any case, Gin was offended. Promiscuous people had hearts, too, dammit! They deserved love as much as prissy virgins!

So without even thinking, the young swordsman infused the book with a light amount of chakra, transferring a  seal onto it. She got up in one swift movement and tossed the book into the air. A second later, it exploded into a mix of smoke, burning paper and small flames raining down from the sky, setting ablaze what was once a book. It was at that moment that Gin noticed the young girl that was patiently standing there, waiting to be acknowledged.

"You're not one of my usual kids. Did Aya-chan send you? I'm guessing you're replacing that one guy." Gin was terrible with names. She didn't bother to memorize any unless the person left a lasting impression that had gained her respect. Instead, she often resorted calling people "kid" or some other generic nickname in the meantime. Sero and Nozomi had both achieved this. She wondered if this girl would survive or stick around long enough to do the same.

Gin crossed her arms over her chest and gave the girl a good look. She was pretty, Gin had to give her that much. As for her skills, she would test those later. "So! Welcome to Team... Eh, still working on a name. Personally, I think 'Carnage' sounds good, but Aya-chan said it was stupid. Tell me a bit about yourself while the others get here - hobbies, skills, specializations, clan, hell, your life story if you want." Having run out of reading material due to obvious reasons, this would have to do for entertainment.

[Training Heaven Style: Seal Transfer Jutsu - 973/750]

Standing there patiently waiting to be Acknowledged, Ash swirled her toe in the dirt. she wasn't really the type of person to interrupt someone who was concentrating on something, especially since she had already attempted to make her presence known. so ash simply stood there in silence, as the legendary swordsmen continued reading her rather... interesting... book... Ash could only hope that she her new Sensei had at least realized the she was even here, and not have been so in dept in her book that she didn't even realize that Ashley had arrived. Oh well, there was nothing she could do now. Well At least not with her Shyness. So Ashley simply stood there, her foot drawing circles in the dirt, as her eyes scanned the swampy area around her, looking for something to hold her interest until her Sensei noticed her, and with holding her own hands behind her back. she had a chance to get a good view of her surroundings, and studied them carefully in case she might need them. She had heard stories of Sensei's putting their Genin through combat trails, and if Gin decided to do that very thing, then she would need to be ready for whatever came at her. she didn't want to bare the consequences of failing on her first day in a squad.

Just then sudden movement caught Ash's eye. The book being sent into the air caught her attention instantly. she shielded her face a few moments to late after the book exploded into fire and more fire then one she was sure the debris had settled she removed her arms from her face, and looked at her Sensei whom was now looking directly at her. "You're not one of my usual kids. Did Aya-chan send you? I'm guessing you're replacing that one guy." Ash simply nodded her head in reply to signify that yes Ayakashi had sent here, but she was clueless as to the person she was supposedly "replacing". "So! Welcome to Team... Eh, still working on a name. Personally, I think 'Carnage' sounds good, but Aya-chan said it was stupid. Tell me a bit about yourself while the others get here - hobbies, skills, specializations, clan, hell, your life story if you want." Ash's Eyes widened a little bit. This Group may be a bit out of her league. Or at least different in ideals then her. Carnage seemed a bit much. also it slightly reminded her of blood, and Ash shivered a little bit in response to her mind being lead to blood. Her irrational fear of that stick red liquid always got the best of her, and there was nothing she could do about it. "Umm.. A-about me? Well... my name is Himitsu Ashley... as for hobbies... i umm really don't have any.... n-nor do i have any skills... i-i suppose i specialize in Genjutsu, but even then i am not very good at it... I am from the uhh Himitsu clan.... And as for my back story, there isn't much to tell.. My mom died when i was young and i lived with my brother for a few years until i bought my own house and then... he left me too..."  Ashley said in her shy and quiet voice as usual, with her eyes dropping to the ground at the last part, trying to hide her emotions in front of her Sensei, but it was hard. Her life had been hard thus far, and all the memories of the past hurt. She knew she had made her Brother leave. it was all her fault, and that is probably what hurt the most. Oh well... there was nothing she could do about that now. she had to focus on the present, and getting stronger. For Yami's sake... and for her own as well.

WC: 655
Total WC 655 + 928 = 1583

Nozomi couldn't be said to be a very happy person lately. Besides the odd mission every so often, she'd been pretty much left to her own devices. Having made some meager earnings on her missions, she'd managed to stock herself up on some basic Kunoichi tools. Now she was kind of like Sero, a walking arsenal. Although Sero was much more prepared than she was when it came to weapons. All she could claim was a bunch of throwing weapons and pepper spray bombs. Perhaps she was more of a tool user. In truth, it was a large part due to her being kicked from the clan. In an attempt to separate herself from any memories of the clan, Nozomi was forgoing her clan's tradition of only using taijutsu. She'd even bought a tanto. Everything she was right now refuted the clan.

So it was that she laid on her bed, looking towards the ceiling and tossing a kunai in the air, catching it as it started to arc back towards her. Life was pretty dull to her right now. She'd gotten past the sadness of losing her clan, and was altogether numb to it right now. Funnily enough, she was relaxing a lot more now that she didn't have the pressure of her father bearing down on her. She was finally a free person, able to make her own decisions. Sure, it wasn't in the best of circumstances, but who could argue? She was happy enough being on her own. Besides that, she was able to write Kaekio all the time. Not that it mattered. The girl, if still her girlfriend, didn't really ever respond to her. Nozomi wasn't sure why not. Maybe she'd just been used to step up the ladder of the Chuunin Exams easier. She hated to think that, but it was a possiblity. After all, why would anyone really even care about Nozomi? Her own father didn't see anything in her beyond the future of the clan. He made that apparant by evicting her.

Sighing, Nozomi sat up. Her blanket still overtop her, covering the nothing that was underneath. Sleeping in clothes was strange to this one. For whatever reason, Nozomi wrapped herself in the blanket as she got dressed in her usual attire. When she'd finished, the blanket fell away from her and she was fully dressed up. Going over to her desk, Nozomi sat down, using the light of the open window to see. Pulling out a sheet of paper, Nozomi began another letter to Kaekio. She'd made a promise that she would write every week, if not every day. So far, she hadn't even missed one day. As she wrote, Nozomi's eyes grew more and more heavy, and then soon they were shut.

THUNK!

Nozomi bolted awake as the sound of metal on wood rang out. Looking around, Nozomi's eyes were suddenly obscured by some white cover or something. It was then that she realized what it was. She'd fallen asleep, and the letter had stuck to her forehead. Blushing slightly, Nozomi took it off of her head and looked around for the source of the noise. Right in front of her, stuck into the desk was a kunai knife with a scroll attached to it. Somebody had launched it through the window. Good thing they had good aim, or Nozomi would have been dead. Anyhow, she took the scroll off and placed it down, rubbing her eyes to wake up a little quicker. Opening the scroll, Nozomi's eyes scanned the tiny message and her heart leapt. "Gin-sensei!" she whispered. There was to be a team meeting. Sure, that entailed seeing Sero again, and he wasn't exactly the friendliest, nor was Gin exactly the nicest of Sensei's, but in Kirigakure, those two were almost the closest to family she had right now.

She was positively elated. Already dressed, Nozomi threw her kunai pouches on, and belted the rest of her items onto her shirt, letting it fall off her shoulder to reveal the rest of her outfit and cover up the items pouches. No sense in revealing all of her tricks after all. Although she did have to get a bag for her windmill shuriken. Carrying it wasn't difficult, but it was larger than it need be. To be honest, she had it less for a weapon, and more for a substitution jutsu. There would certainly be some good usages for the thing, a lot of which isn't as an offensive tool. It would be good as a supplementary one though, almost perfect. Nozomi had certainly been racking her brain to think of some plans that wouldn't utilize any clan tech, so that she was multi skilled. Perhaps one day, she could show her father how wrong he was in disowning her. He'd be begging to take her back.

Regardless, it was time for Nozomi to get on her way, to meet up with Gin and Sero. She hadn't heard from Migaru in a while, but she knew that he wasn't really into being in Gin's squad, and had opted for different manners of training. Whereas Nozomi loved being Gin's student. Gin treated her better than her own family did, for the most part. She was proud of Nozomi's accomplishments, even when they seemed small to the girl. She hadn't talked to her much since the Chuunin Exams, and to be honest, Nozomi was wondering what Gin's own thoughts on the matter were. What would she say? Would she have any tips for the future? Things like that. It was always nice. And of course, that led Nozomi to think of the other. Of Sero. He wasn't what somebody would call the ideal friend, but Nozomi saw him in a different light. He was the friend that would push you to do what needed to be done. To be equal parts a mentor, as well as open to learning from his fellow partners. He would be kind enough if the situation called for it, but also as deadly as possible if it didn't. And to her, that was enough for him to be considered her friend. He'd been nice to her, even if only shortly.

Well, enough reminiscing. As Nozomi ran to the meeting place, jumping and leaping, she thought of something. When she and Sero had met, it had been from him attacking Gin. Now, she'd not realized his reasons and had kind of instinctively reacted, but now she could understand. In order to prove himself, Sero had decided to try and get the drop on her. And Nozomi had ruined it. Now she felt bad, but at the same time, she knew that she'd have to prove herself as well. So she made a decision to come up to the meeting place as sneakily as possible. Perhaps she could get the drop on Gin and prove her own worth as a Kunoichi.

Sneaking the rest of the way there, Nozomi noticed Gin was not alone, but nor was she with Sero or Migaru. Instead, it turned out she was.... with Ash! That was surprising. So Ashley had finally become a genin then? Nozomi's eyes looked towards the young girl's neck, where a scarf was usually present. In its stead was the headband of the Kirigakure shinobi and kunoichi. So it would seem that Gin's squad had a new member. Nozomi withheld the urge to squeal and run to the girl and hug her. Now wasn't the time to ruin her plan. She'd make sure to congratulate her old clan member later. They had plenty of time to catch up.

Pulling out 3 shuriken in each hand, Nozomi took aim towards Gin, who didn't even look like she was paying attention. Aloof as usual. Jumping from her hiding spot quickly, moving towards another one, Nozomi unleashed her 6 shuriken towards her Sensei. Even as she landed, she'd already pulled out 4 Kunai knives, and leapt towards different cover, launching the kunai after that. Then she pulled out her Windmill Shuriken, which had already been prepared with a substitution jutsu when she'd been on her way there. In her right hand, Nozomi pulled out the beautiful tanto she'd bought, and then took another leap. The windmill shuriken deployed itself, and Nozomi hurled it at Gin, sending the large thing towards her sensei in a bid to hit her. She landed back in the cover of some bushes and looked out to see what happened. She kept her eye on the windmill shuriken though.

WC: 1468

-5 for Substitution preparation.
Chakra: 195/200

Born-ill: 1/8

OOC: I know, thread's No-kill. Just attacking. Also, simply keeping track of my illness for exertion purposes. As not sure if this counts as the start of combat or not XD

Sero had taken his time to master his body and chakra as he rose through the ranks. Now as a special jounin he was able to grow in leaps and bounds. He had been a chunnin for a very short time it seemed. And yet he had managed to prevail at all that was asked of him. He was efficient and useful which made him the candidate for more then one mission that drove him to end anothers life. The blood did not just stain his hands but drenched him, He was a slayer, a blood-letter. His foes had been left to rot  with their skins peeled away leaving only the stained flesh and faces contorted in pain. For a normal person this may have caused nightmares and regrets. Perhaps even going as far as to remove them from their memory. However this was not a normal boy. Sero sat quietly on his roof cross legged with his two swords set out before him. A single Katana and Wakizashi. He was a master of all weapons but these two he preferred. The way the metal was folded and then sharpened seemed to resonate within the blades. He himself sat there like a weapon being honed.

As to why he sat there upon the roof in his grey robes tinted purple the further down they went with his headband tight around his neck, he was reflecting. The memories of his passed battles and replaying them in his head. Each motion and measurement remembered. The smell of the blood, the looks of fear. Each stroke and strike they attempted on him replayed in his head. He did this as an exercise to practice against opponents he had faced before. Still his hand shot to the handle of his sword suddenly. The Katana sheath grasped in his left hand and the hilt grasped in his right tightly. His grey lifeless eyes opened as another shinobi rose out of the shadow nearby. Cold grey eyes stared with no expression at the masked figure as if two masks were trying to see who would blink first. Finally the messenger chuckled before reaching slowly into his breast pocket and pulling out the letter. With a flick of his wrist he sent the letter flying to embed as if it were a kunai into the roofing. With a final bow he was gone. Sero waited until he could no longer sense the mans presence before he relaxed his stance and bent at the knees to pull the letter free.

With a slight frown he opened the message. His eyebrows raised in question as it appeared to be summons from Gin. She had apparently not been informed of his new rank. With it he had virtually graduated from the squad. However that did not mean he could not say his farewells. With a tilt of his head he let chakra run from his fingertips into the paper before it ignited. With a flare it went up in smoke into the night. He burned all documents unless instructed otherwise. Still his grey eyes stared in the direction of the marshes as he remembered where they were. Where he had first met Gin. His aunt had been disguised at the time but he remembered it as clearly as he remembered everything. How she had beaten him time and time again while challenging him to strike her. That challenge still stood in his mind. A cold breeze blew his hair as he picked up his Wakizashi and stood. He would leave the other weapons here for now. If he was going to leave his mark he would do it at the length of one of these two blades.

With that in mind he launched off the roof hopping from the high roof to a lower one and from that to the fountain. His padded boots barely making a tapping noise as he controlled his weight distribution comfortably. As soon as he landed on the bridge though he broke out into a sprint running towards the location. He was usually prompt and the staring contest had taken unnecessary time. Still he tucked the two swords into tight loops on his left waist. His pants peaking through the openings in his cloak as he passed through the mist. It was easy for some to lose a sense of direction moving through such thick mist and yet he managed to find the pathway leading into the marshes with ease. He raced along that while keeping his eyes focused on keeping track of any subtle changes in the path ahead. Careful to remain dry as to not make more noise when approaching Gin. She may not like his stealth tactics but given her advantage over him he only found it tactically required. After all she had been considered the most powerful person in a nation once.

Still when he arrived it was to find he had made it at the exact moment of another. Nozomi had apparently taken to his method of greeting his aunt as well. With his left hand he reached over to a rotten toppled chunk of tree and tapped it. A tiny flicker of chakra imbued into the wood for a replacement technique should his attack fail yet again. However by then Nozomi had already thrown the Kunai and shuriken and appeared to be moving through his line of sight and throwing even a windmill shuriken. She gripped something else in her hand but it was too far away to tell. Either way it was too late for a joined attack. Sero would not be able to make it to Gin before the projectiles did. Regardless he wasted no more time as he moved careful to keep low and to Gins supposed blind spot behind her as he rushed forward at seventeen meters per second. He had achieved a much higher level of speed then their first encounter. Like a grey phantom he zipped through the mist as little more then a blur. The Mist parting behind him like a knife cutting paper. Only once he was within range of Gin did he rise up from remaining low. By the time he made it to her all the projectiles would likely have been dealt with in some form or another. Either way he gripped his Katana hilt and in the final step drew it out. But the Katana itself was not normal. Its blade seemed to be coated in some frothing liquid. He had activated acid edge and was now attempting a rising slash from it up Gins backside. He was greeting her the way they did. By fighting to extremes. It was truly a lovely family.


-5 substitution
-15 acid edge
220 chakra
1117

Wind patterns were a curious thing, really. They could let you know so much if you cared enough to pay very close attention to them - how they moved, how they felt, how they acted and the like. For instance, Gin had learned that they could let you know whether or not someone was standing several meters behind you, hidden among the trees if you had noticed how the wind was coming into contact with your skin before said person decided to appear there. It was a skill that Kuroka Gin had just recently acquired and not without a great deal of training on her part, of course. She had zoned out when the new girl - Ash, was it? - started talking about herself.

Now, it wasn't that the former Kazekage wasn't interested in what she was saying. Quite the contrary, she thought it was useful information if the girl was answering the questions that her new teacher had asked. However, the fact that she suspected that at least one person was hiding in the area diverted all of her attention to, well, that. "You don't say," she said, feigning at least some interest so as to not discourage the girl and to give the people hiding a little bit more confidence.

There - the sound of several weapons being drawn about twenty meters away - confirmed it. About a second later, six shuriken were headed her way. Gin sighed, choosing to do a quick roll to the side. She looked up in time to see Nozomi flying in the air and ducking for cover somewhere else. A following set of attacks and Nozomi was launching two kunai in the air. Gin caught one of them by the handle and let the other one fly above her head. And now Nozomi was moving again. Another weapon was being drawn somewhere else. Lovely. Two attacks to take care of. She launched the kunai that was in her hand in order to knock the windmill shuriken out of the sky. Metal collided in midair with a satisfying "clank." Now she focused on the silver haired boy that was charging towards her, sword in hand.

Sero had gotten faster. How wonderful! She was still slightly faster, given that she had chosen to focus her taijutsu towards, well, speed. As ran towards her, she leapt backwards to create more distance between them. "It's a hundred years too early for the two of you to think you can catch me off guard like that," she said as she sank into a basic stance, strong and stable. "Also, kid, meet your teammates, unless Sero got promoted. In that case, meet your teammate and my darling nephew," she introduced them offhandedly.

Gin was sure that Sero would ignore Ash and keep on pressing towards Gin. For a moment, Gin thought that having an A rank sword would have been nice. It wouldn't expend chakra like her Kekkei Genkai blades would and it wouldn't be complete overkill. She wasn't about to draw Soul Cutter on a handful of kids during a training session. Ayakashi would have her head if she did. Also, the sole thought of saying that she had to pull the legendary weapon out to get a couple of Chuunin off of her back was discouragement enough.

For now, she would use only her taijutsu skills and her mechanical arm. She made a mental note to go and buy herself a brand new katana once this was over. In the meantime, she kept her eyes focused on Sero while she also waited for what Nozomi's next actions would be. This was just like old times, really, not that they had really become a team that long ago. Honestly, it had only been about half a year or so.

Gin momentarily stuck her hand in her item pouch, where she kept a couple of books - more erotic novels - a few kunai and a couple of shuriken as well as scrolls. She touched one of the books and infused it with a little bit of chakra. She didn't use the substitution jutsu often, but she found it to be one of the more useful academy techniques that could be in a shinobi's arsenal. Also, it was always better to be safe than sorry and all that. "Now pick a side and join in, kid, don't just stand there!" she ordered Ash, still keeping her eyes locked on Sero.



[Training Perception A to A-2: 970/2150]

Gin was distracted. Ash could easily see that. it was plain as day on her face, and was only confirmed when Gin gave the "you don't say" but what was she distracted about? was there someone out there? where they about to be attacked? Ash couldn't answer these questions, and it was obvious that Gin was much more perceptive and aware of her surroundings then ash was. Nor did she have time to figure anything out, because ash she sat there several kunai and shuriken came out, as ash began to hear movement around the area. the Kunai and Shuriken didn't even come close to ash, but all were targeted at gin. Gin rolled to dodge the shuriken, then caught a kunai. Ash was amazed at not only what was happening but how fast and accurately Gin was reacting to it all. Ash would have been dead by this point she was sure. Then a demon wind shuriken came out from the cover, and more movement. Ash couldn't tell whom was attacking, nor could she even get a glance, but she did watch her sensei use the kunai she caught to knock the windmill slightly off course enough for it to miss her. it was impressive, really, to watch her fight. Ash knew she never wanted to face her. Then she felt a creepy aura move about the open field. it made the hair on ash's neck stand straight up. then she saw someone whom she knew only alittle bit about, but had heard stories of his deadliness. As Gin flew backwards, moving within 3 meters of ash, she was told his name. Sero. the name gave ash shivers, as she found out that HOLY SHIT HE WAS HER TEAM MATE? ash had to prevent her mouth from dropping open. Yup this squad was wwaaaayyyy above her in pure brutality, with the other member attacking from the bushes, as sero lead the charge up front. they made a decent team. However, ash did see one thing they were lacking. True support. While offensive support was nice, they were all pretty up front, and head strong, which would lead them to some painful adventures. Ash figured she might at least have a small place in this squad, because she couldn't do much in the way of combat, but she could at least help. Although it would be hard without knowing whom her other squad mate was, and they strengths and weaknesses. Ash could basically guess Sero was a Bukijutsu user, and close range, but her team mate was still a mystery, but for now Ash figured she would just watch the brawl, knowing she wouldn't be of much assistance as she had what two jutsu in her arsenal, and she highly doubted one would even effect anyone here, and the other was merely for show.

That was going to be her plan, learn through observation, and not through experience. That was until Gin told her to pick a side. Ash locked up momentarily. Pick a side and do what? she wouldn't be helpful to either side, merely a Disadvantage. she was useless and she knew it. Picking a side wasn't hard, it should always bee Squad vs Sensei, but how to help was the problem. she figured she should at least change the scene to something a bit more her style. Her other squad mate was just out of range for this to work, but Gin whom her primary target would be, and Sero whom could benefit from this and not give away her Genjutsu, were perfectly in range. Ash watched Sero move forwards, and as Gin stood roughly 3 meters away from her, she waited for Sero to be right outt of range to begin her sentence, she knew if she timed it he would be right in range, when the trigger activated. "B-but Gin-sensei... i-i'm scared of Death" the word death tinged her mouth with chakra as it came out of her mouth, and it readily searched for ears to invade. her sentence sounded timid, and like she was afraid, mixed in with her naturally shy nature, none would be the wiser, she truly sounded scared, but oh boy were they in for a surprise, and Sero had even entered her range at the perfect time in order to be in the 5 meter range of her jutsu. Trickery was what she would use to aid her comrads.

WC: 752
Chakra: unknown yet, will see whom is all affected.

Jutsu used

DWA: Death:

Nozomi had to admit, she was disappointed. She was hoping that Gin wouldn't be quite so adept at stopping her sneak attack. It's like she'd known before Nozomi even attacked that she was planning a sneak attack. Easily avoiding the shuriken, even catching the kunai, Nozomi watched her deflect the Windmill Shuriken easily. Darn. And then she went to focus on Sero, who had, it seemed, also been planning to do the same thing. Smiling, Nozomi knew that there could now be more of a plan. It was obvious that the kunai and shuriken would not work against Gin, so there was only one thing left to do. Open confrontation. Against Gin, neither of them would last for very long at all. But in the end, if they teamed up, then perhaps they could at least push her to use some force instead of making a fool of them.

As Ash was simply standing around, Nozomi weaved a quick sign, and two more Nozomi's popped up next to her in the cover of the bushes. Each of the clones drew out Kunai knives while Nozomi palmed her Tanto. Taking a second to steel her nerves away, she heard Ash finish her little sentence, some nonsense about being afraid of death. Oh shush Ash, this was training, and you're most certainly not afraid of death. Nozomi then jumped out from the bushes with her clones, rushing towards Gin. As she ran past Ashley, Nozomi turned her head and smiled briefly. "Hiya Ash, welcome to Team Gin!" she said sweetly, continuing on her way. No way was she about to let Sero fight Gin alone.

As all three of them reached Gin,  the two clones went to the side of Gin, in a pincer movement, while Nozomi attacked from behind. This was actually something Gin wouldn't know about necessarily. Nozomi's usage of clones in the Chuunin Exams had been the simple academy level ones with no real substance. These were petal clones that could actually physically touch something. Of course, the explosive capability that they had would not play a factor in this fight, Nozomi wasn't looking to slice her teacher to ribbons, only simply to at least his her once. Anyhow, all three of them struck at the same time, the one on Gin's right struck high, the one on Gin's left struck low, and Nozomi stabbed forward with the tanto around midsection. Whatever Sero would do would be his choice, but this was what she could do for now.

WC: 429

-20 for Petal Clone Jutsu
175/3 = 58 chakra to each clone, 59 chakra to nozomi
Chakra: 59/200
Clone 1: 58/58
Clone 2: 58/58

Sero had tried to burst speed and hit Gin but it had been to late. She had sensed him coming and prepared for him. Not only had she caught on to the fact that he was coming but she had located him before he could reach her. Even with him being slightly faster she widened the gap before he could reach her. It was slightly frustrating now. After all he knew that he had pushed his body passed its limits and his legs would be tired for a moment or two longer. His grey gaze lifted slowly as he looked to Gin. She was watching him with confidence on her features. Dead grey eyes looked to her with a chill colder then winter. His sword shifted to the side as it dripped a liquid. Each drip falling to the ground before sizzling and bubbling. When it cleared even the dirt beneath it looked corroded. His Katana however did not appear to be degrading. His mastery over Boil release was not in question. He had finally revealed his trump card he had hidden as a genin. Which only meant one thing. That jutsu was no longer his trump card. He had at least one thing far worse now in his arsenal. And those cold grey eyes meeting Gins showed no hesitation.

Still he took one step forward as the new girl spoke and everything around him changed. It was as if he had stepped into a new world. The ground seemed to tremble as a fence rose around them. Sero shifted into a stance uncertain of what was happening. The fence seemed worn down yet solid. It grew from the ground as if it had been created from beneath it. But that was not all that was growing. Stone slabs rose from the ground as well. Each with a name printed on them. He knew where he was now. A graveyard had been erected. Yet what purpose did that serve? Was Gin being dramatic? Either way he would...wait a moment. His eyes had passed over the area before tapping back to Gin. He had noticed something in that glance. Names he recognized. Most he didn't care for but two such names struck out to him. His father and mothers names. Up until that point he had suspected at least his mother still lived. But to see her grave next to his fathers. Some part of him wanted her to be alive. Too see the gravestone snapped something inside of him.

A deep growl filled the area. The air seemed to shift from the breeze blowing one way to a hot wave of air blowing the grass the opposite way. The area suddenly seemed heavier as the darkness in Sero seeped out. Killing intent filled every space between all of them. That feeling like Sero was less then human was destroyed and replaced with the certainty that he was a monster. Narrowed grey eyes shifted to Gin like they were sharpened steel. The uncaring grey was gone. It was her. She knew his mother was dead. She had chosen to throw that in his face. He felt nothing but rage and he knew nothing of how to control it. The grass around his feet began to smolder and burn as he stared at her. It was clear he was no longer trying to just land a blow. His fangs were bound for her throat. He was coming and he didn't intend to stop. She had tested his patience and found a button with this vision. Had she lured him here just to do this to him? If so she was going to pay dearly. He took one step forward and then another. Approaching her with sword hilt gripped so tightly it drew blood from his palms. He was coming for her and it was more then clear in his present state he might kill everyone there if he wasn't stopped.

It was then that Nozomi attacked. little more then a note in the back of his mind. An Ally? Someone else was helping him take down the one who had offended him. His grey eyes shifted to Ash and his presence washed over her like he was already driving his Katana through her throat. She wasn't moving or joining in on either side...Was she not a target too? His gaze left her and that feeling like a blade pressed to her was gone as well. He looked at Gin and tilted his head. She was priority. She was the one who had done this. Toyed with him. She was the one he would burn. As Gin was attacked Sero seemed to step forward and sink into the shadows. Just as if he had stepped into deep water he sank rapidly into the shadows and disappeared. His presence seemed to be everywhere. His killing intent filled the graveyard as he raced through the shadows. Gin would feel it the most. She was his target and he intended to take her down. Wherever he came from he was coming at her. As Gin dealt with Nozomi and her clones Sero moved in for whichever direction Gin moved. As he moved under her he would rise up suddenly with his acid blade trying to cut her from her left waist to her right shoulder.as he rocketed up out of the ground. This play fight had taken a turn for a deadlier side.

-15 for Silhouette Technique
205 chakra
Acid edge active for two more posts
2031
Speed B-2 ~> B-3 900/900
Strength B-1 ~> B-2 800/800

331 wc remaining

Such an odd little comment for the young girl. Sure, she seemed like the shy type, most likely hesitant to actually hurt or kill someone, but there was no such thing to fear under Gin's training. Her reputation preceded her as harsh teacher who would put her students under grueling circumstances in order to test their strengths and encourage growth. Nevertheless, she wouldn't force them to kill each other. The mere notion of it was laughable. The days of the Bloody Mist were long gone, recorded only in old textbooks and scary tales told by mothers who wanted their children to behave. Never mind the fact that the sentence Ash had just uttered was pretty much off topic. All of this along with Gin's personal instincts led her to believe that this was some sort of trick - most likely genjutsu. Lovely. If there was one thing Gin hated more than medics, hospitals and paperwork (usually all three were found in the same location, making it Gin's trifecta of terror) was illusions.

Well, all things considered, she now had two different Nozomi to deal with. From what she was able to hear, the third was coming at her from behind. Not a bad strategy, to be honest. Of course, there was also dear Sero, charging towards her with his sword in hand. Curiosity and allocated priorities made Gin decide to wrap herself within the illusion that now sprung before her. Green and well kept grass began to grow underneath her feet. A fence surrounded the area and graves sprung from the ground. My, my. A graveyard, of all things. Gin's eyes quickly scanned the area, taking in everything of note before Nozomi's clones got any closer to her. Names... Names of people she knew... Gin sighed. It was nothing she hadn't seen before. She visited these people's graves at least twice a year. Still, it was at least a little unnerving. Moreover, she couldn't seem to see the scenery beyond the fence.  If that was true for her, it would also be true for the other two genin if they were also caught in the illusion.

So far, Nozomi's demeanor didn't seem to change. Her pace was still a constant run, as was that of her clones. It was safe to assume that the young blonde was unaffected. Sero on the other hand... His expression had changed entirely. He had become more fierce in his killing intent. She could tell it was fixed on her and her alone. The other two girls would likely seem to him like they were in his way. What could have set him off so fiercely? Was it the illusion? Sure, it was creepy and discomforting, but it wasn't enough to provoke such a rage unless... Unless he had seen a name that he hadn't expected to see. Of course. Gin could dissipate his rage by pointing out that it was an illusion, but that would mean he would transfer all of his anger to someone else - to the youngest and weakest member of the group. No, it was best that he think that Gin was responsible for the change in scenery.

In the meantime, she had Nozomi to deal with. Sero blocked one direction and Nozomi blocked three others, meaning that she could either face all three in the next couple of seconds. A jutsu with a large range would do, however, the ones she could use were likely overkill... Oh! Right! There was that one thing she could use! Just like that, she infused the ground around her with her chakra. Timing would be crucial for this. Once she saw that Nozomi and her clones were each between five and two meters away from her, three seals would appear beneath their feet in the shape of arrows pointing in three different directions: The one that the real Nozomi would now stand on was pointed towards the direction where she had come from. The other two arrows simply pointed at each other in a slight angle, facing away from Gin.

As soon as the seals appeared, their effect was in play: whatever was on them would be launched at 80 m/s towards the direction that the arrow was pointed at for a distance of twenty meters before beginning to decelerate. This meant that both clones would crash violently against each other, likely making them dissipate entirely because of the force behind the impact. Nozomi would be launched with the same force towards the trees that were 15 meters behind her.

Immediately after placing the seals, Gin would once again turn her attention to Sero, who was no longer within view. Gin had seen him sink into the ground only moments before, meaning that he was using some sort of stealth technique in order to conduct a surprise attack. All that could be felt was his murderous presence throughout the area. The best way to find him was likely to move towards higher ground. Concentrating all of her strength on her legs, Gin jumped twenty meters into the air. With a touch to her mechanical eye, she activated it, wiping away the makeup that made it seem human. Her perceptive abilities would now increase in order to help her see any differences in the terrain. A quick scan as she was held briefly in the air did nothing to reveal his location.

As Gin descended, however, Sero surfaced from her own shadow. She could see small ripples in it caused by the edge of his blade. There was only a single meter keeping them apart. Having nothing to use as leverage in order to dodge, there was only one real option left. Gin drew her own blade - Sabaku no Bara, the Desert Rose - to clash against Sero's. It would impact his blade directly, backed by Gin's raw strength, along with the added force of her accelerated descent. If Sero didn't dodge, his arms would likely break as they cushioned the impact. Regardless, Gin would remain on guard, all of her senses dedicated to keeping track of all three shinobi and their actions.

[2203]
[Heaven Style: Vector Plate 5/6 Posts Remaining]
[Chakra: 305/325]

Nozomi's ambush also proved futile against the superior Gin. Her two clones were launched into each other, turning into little clouds of petals, floating harmlessly to the ground, Nozomi having mentally disabled the explosive capabilities of the clones so as not to reveal their little secret at the moment. She herself had been launched backwards, moving extremely fast backwards. Luckily though, it wasn't really that far of a fling, and instead just launched her away from Gin, however, there still persisted the matter of her skidding backwards uncontrollably.

Using the momentum that launched her backwards, Nozomi flipped herself in the air, her feet landing on a tree. Bending her knees to absorb the shock, Nozomi bounced off of the trunk, sending her off in a different direction than she'd been launched in. She'd been launched back really quickly, and took a moment to regain her bearings. The arrow seals were still on the ground, so Nozomi had to calculate a little bit. Then she smiled. The placement of her jump had knocked her back towards the deflected windmill shuriken from earlier. Picking it up once again, the large object fanned out in her hand.

Charging forward and around the field, Nozomi positioned herself so that she had Gin in front of the backwards facing arrow. Charging forward, now towards Gin herself, Nozomi launched the windmill shuriken, attempting to arc it past Gin herself, so that it would miss her, but with the appearance of having been thrown as a distraction, or just a fluffed throw that failed. Nozomi continued forward, launching herself at Gin, Tanto set to stab at her.... as she activated the substitution jutsu that she had prepared on the shuriken earlier. If it had been timed correctly, Nozomi would have switched places with the shuriken the instant that it had entered the seals boundaries, launching the shuriken forward. She herself would take place with the windmill, out of the influence of the seals reach, while it would replace where she had been, moving towards Gin at 80 m/s due to the seals speed increase.

Nozomi's mind went back to the Chuunin exams. They seemed like a life time ago, although it hadn't been all that long. Sero and Nozomi hadn't ever really fought as a team before, but they'd been the only two to stick to Gin's training. It seemed that anyone else just left. And now Sero was off the team, as he'd been given status as a Special Jounin. Which meant it was just Nozomi and Ash now. But this was a fun fight. A special Jounin, a Chuunin, and a Genin, all fighting Gin. It was a test the likes of which not many people had the chance to ever have.

That was fine though. Nobody really needed to beat anyone. As long as Nozomi earned Gin's approval as a kunoichi, she'd be happy. Without her family, the team was all the young girl really had anymore. So by that extension, Gin was all that Nozomi had to look up to as an authority figure that could give her approval. One day Nozomi would be as strong as her teacher, but that wouldn't be anytime soon, judging by the way they were getting so handily avoided. Nozomi would have to up her game if she had any hope of beating her sensei. But with Sero here, fighting with such intensity as he was, and with Ashley here as well, they had a chance. Perhaps all three of them together, could manage to at least touch Gin. That was a lot of perhaps though. Only time would tell in the end.

WC: 607

Substitution activated, additional 5 chakra.
54/200 chakra.

Chakra Clone 1 and 2, destroyed.

TWC: 2504

Gin closed her eyes momentarily as the Genin, Chuunin and Special Jounin were all crowding around her, attempting to attack her. It was a valuable effort, but she had things to do and places to be. In other words, the smutty novels she carried in her items' pouch weren't going to read themselves. And sure, the kids needed training, but there would be other times for that in the future. She was always available to them if they wanted her attention, after all. Therefore, with a deep breath and a twitch of her fingers, she disappeared. A mere book - an old one that she had read and hadn't particularly liked - was all that was left behind in the puff of smoke resulting from her substitution technique. The former Kazekage turned Sannin was now hidden skillfully in the treetops overhead. With another movement of her fingers and more concentration of her chakra, she snapped herself out of the genjutsu that the young newcomer girl had cast.

She would take the time to briefly smirk to herself as she looked down at the area where the kids would probably be confused, even if only for a moment. She then turned around and left, heading back to the large house that she rented, financed by the Raikage, Sanosuke, and his seemingly endless funds.

[Perception A to A-2: 2150/2150]

[Thread Closed due to Inactivity]

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