With a quick whistle Rippā signaled the match was over. He had won and he would move on to the next round. Rippā came down to the battlefield and walked over to his shadow prison casting a simple crimson colored raiton jutsu which immediately broken the barrier and freed the ninken from its bondage. He gave Bōei a nod of approval and signaled him to retrieve his flag and return to the courtyard with the other competitors while he reached down and healed the injured Inuzaka. Bōei looked back to see the Inuzaka and his canine return to the group with his head hung in disappointment.

As he watched from the crowd having won his match, he analyzed the following matches to detail the strengths and weaknesses of each victor should he need to exploit vulnerabilities and avoid their strengths in combat. Most of the combatants did not stand out but a few shown above the rest. An Uzumaki girl with a tactical mind who was talented in fuinjutsu defeated her opponent without even touching him. An explosive seal full of kunai took her opponent out with ease. He figured he would need to carefully inspect the battleground if he were to face her. Another which stood out for his skill was an Uchiha who had shown his expertise with the blade. He swiftly struck down his opponent in one blow. He figured he would need to stop his movement if he had a chance at winning against the Uchiha. The final standout was not due to skill but rather sheer...lack of regard for life. From the second the match started he engulfed the field in a sea of flames. His opponent emerged alive but scorched quite a bit. This one would be his toughest opponent should they be matched but could be neutralized in close quarters. After all the matches were complete, the Senju returned the courtyard to its previous state and Rippā addressed the crowd once more."You few have progressed on to the next round. Proving more potent than the  masses. Meet here at sunrise tomorrow and round two will begin. Do not be tardy or you will be considered forfeit. Go to your clans and celebrate for tomorrow will be harder."

With this in mind, Bōei returned home to rest his body and mind. The following morning he awoke early before the dawn to go over his strategies for the day's competition. He made his way to the compound with his mind and body ready for the task ahead of him. He was one step closer to glory for himself and his clan. As he arrived he noticed that only a handful of the group were present, although he was a bit earlier so he waited for the sun to rise within the courtyard once more as he had done yesterday. When the sun did rise, only eight stood outside for the day's competition. "Well, less competition works for me I suppose," he thought to himself as he smirked underneath his all black garbs.

WC: 517

Today was a different day. Many of the contestants had failed and others who witnessed the star players of this competition opted to drop out. Fear overwhelming pride and stress driving them away. It was not a surprise to Rippa. Even if they were trained to eliminate enemy combatants, to enter a battlefield and fight for life and death not many had actually been forced into that experience. So few of them had actually seen actual combat and to see something outside their capabilities. To understand they could actually get hurt was too much to take in overnight. That was part of the purpose of the competition starting with actual combat. To weed out those that would break when put under pressure. So it was that only eight arrived the next morning. No huge clan gathering or flags being routed this time. Simply eight individuals gathered in the courtyard and awaiting the days challenge. Eight proud young shinobi. However by the end of the day only one would remain. Only one would be capable of winning this next competition and they would each fight for that position with everything they had. Even now they gathered their chakra and checked their weapons. There would be blood spilled today and so little could be done about it.

Rippa himself stood behind a large wooden gate within the compound next to the courtyard. A part of him felt guilt over forcing children to harm each other. However the logical part of him saw purpose in bloodshed. This would give them actual experience and show them their limitations. They would grow from this even if they lost and one of them would be given the chance to grow further than any other standing next to them. He would nod to one of his men as the gate would open at his bidding. The man pushing open both doors and entering the courtyard. An older man with a beard and large stature. His one eye looking them over as he grunted at the children. Towering over them he would cross his arms. Fur armor covered him and a set of maces sat on his hips. He would snort out in disapproval before turning and leaving. Rippa seeming to have appeared in the mans shadow. He himself was wearing a coat with fur around the neck. White fox fur over a black zipped up coat and black pants tucked over boots. He would clear his throat and give the genin a moment to gather before he spoke. His voice carrying calmly to those around him. Warm but stern.

"Welcome to the second day. Today we will be testing you in a live mission scenario. You will risk your lives and possibly your career. There is a politician of influence captured and being held hostage by a group of bandits. Normally you wouldn't be allowed on a B rank mission like this but we will be observing and will stop the killing blow if we can if you are overwhelmed. Your mission is to rescue the hostage and get him to safety. If you want to drop out now is the time."

526

As the final eight remaining genin stood within the courtyard awaiting the arrival of Rippā, the sun rose from its slumber and cast light down upon them in the courtyard. Right on cue, the gate door swung open to reveal a large bearded man clad in fur armor with twin maces adorning his hip. He walked forward toward the eight, stopping just short of them. He crossed his arms and snorted at them in disapproval then proceeded to retreat back behind the game. From the man's shadow appeared Rippā dressed in a black coat zipped all the way up, lined with white fur adorning the top. He wore black pants tucked into his boots as usual. He walked forward a bit and cleared his throat to ensure that he had everyone's attention before he spoke. "Welcome to the second day. Today we will be testing you in a live mission scenario. You will risk your lives and possibly your career. There is a politician of influence captured and being held hostage by a group of bandits. Normally you wouldn't be allowed on a B rank mission like this but we will be observing and will stop the killing blow if we can if you are overwhelmed. Your mission is to rescue the hostage and get him to safety. If you want to drop out now is the time."

The possibility of death or dismemberment apparently did not sit well with some of the other genin, who took Rippā's offer to drop out now with haste leaving the compound. Now only 4 remained in the pool of potential candidates. A Nara, Uchiha, Uzumaki and Sarutobi all remained to face the challenge before them without fear or hesitation. With their mission dossiers in hand, each took a few moments to read it over and ensure they had the information necessary to complete the dangerous task ahead of them. One by one they ran off towards the target's destination, with Bōei leaving the courtyard last. As he ventured toward the compound inside which he would have to infiltrate and extract the target unscathed, he pondered just how he would go about the situation. Knowing he was up against the odds to begin with as a B rank mission, he understood the risks he was to face if he wanted to succeed. He would need to immobilize and/or neutralize his competition to complete this mission but that in and of itself would be quite difficult, but he would leave that for later. For the time being he would plan out how to enter the compound and exit with as little resistance as possible.

As he reached the compound he began to scout for entry points and hostile targets. In his peripherals he caught a glimpse of the Uchiha sneaking into the rear of the compound with sword in hand. Realizing the value of this opportunity, Bōei repositioned himself to give a better view of the Uchiha's movements to use him as a thinning agent for entry. As he moved he found the Uzumaki on the south side setting up traps for the patrolmen which would soon be rounding the corner and receive a nasty surprise. He would keep an eye on her for the time being but he had yet to see the Sarutobi near the compound. "Now where is the last one...." he thought to himself as he scanned the area. As the thought crossed his mind a plume of flames arose from the front of the compound. "And all accounted for..." he sighed to himself. Given the situation at hand he leapt down from his perch in the trees for an aerial approach while the others infiltrated from the ground at different sides. Since the Sarutobi had effectively alerted the entire compound with his antics, Bōei knew he would have to work quickly to accomplish the mission. From the dossier he knew there would be an entrance on the rooftop that would be relatively unguarded so he decided it would be his prime choice. The back and side entrances had minimal guards and would make sense as to why his competition had chosen that path. There was only one guard in front of the roof entrance who had rushed to the edge of the compound to check out the distraction the Sarutobi had caused. Using this as his moment, Bōei rushed towards with his kunai drawn. Before he knew it, Bōei was upon him thrusting his kunai into the man's throat. Bōei covered the man's mouth to muffle the sound of his screams as the kunai dug into his throat. With the guard down, he made his way into the roof top entrance with his kunai in hand prepared to remove and extract the target when he found him.

As he entered the compound, it became apparent the others were already inside as well. An alarm had been triggered within the compound which alerted everyone to a foreign presence within their walls. With the element of surprise gone, he figured a direct approach would be the best at this point. He made his way towards the target's last known location according to the dossier which was easily found as he had memorized the layout of the compound in his mind. Knowing he would only have a few seconds once he opened the door to the target's location, he prepared himself. He kicked open the door with all his might taking in the situation of the room. There were two guards standing on either side of the target with swords in hand. Both guards rushed forward towards him with deadly intent as Bōei quickly thought of a strategy to take the two men out and save the target.

He quickly extended his shadow forward over to the target and formed the rat symbol with the intent of putting him in a shadow prison for his protection. With the target secured, Bōei shifted his focus on the two shinobi quickly closing on him. Using his shadow he gathered a portion of his shadow and thrust it at the man on his right as he intercepted the man on the left's sword in between the blades on his kunai. The force of the blow stunned the man on the right long enough for Bōei to handle the man on the left. As the man pushed downward with his sword, Bōei used his momentum against him as he moved slightly to the left in preparation for his next jutsu. In a swift counter attack, Bōei twisted his kunai to the left causing the man's sword to drive harmlessly into the ground as Bōei used his shadow to propel his leg as it crashed into the man's side. The kick itself was enough to send the man flying into the wall, smashing his head against it and knocking him unconscious. The second man, having recovered from the earlier blow rushed at him once again this time slashing with his sword. He was a more skilled swordsman than the first as the slash caught Bōei off-guard and left a deep gash in his left arm. Bōei moved forward dodging the following strike and using his shadow propelled himself into the man's chest with his elbow. He felt the bones underneath crack underneath his elbow as the man flew backward into the wall just as his partner had a few moments before. With both guards taken down, he walked forward towards the target and released him from the shadow prison. "It's time to go," Bōei said to the man as his arm dripped blood down to the floor.

Chakra: 90/150:

WC: 1310

Rippa would nod to his men as the genin left towards the objective. Their jobs were clearly laid out for them. Each of them was to accompany a genin but simply observe. There would be no intervention until no other option was available or until the genin had obviously run out of tactics. It was an interesting line to walk on, keeping out of sight and letting the genin struggle and knowing when they were beyond their means. In the end he would have to simply leave it to their good sense of judgement. This was a B rank mission so a single chunnin could of opted to take it but four genin didn't always equal one chunnin. Aside from those that had walked away he had no doubt these four could give many a chunnin a run for their money. The Sarutobi with his crazed fire, The uzumaki with her seal traps, the Uchiha with their sword technique and the Nara with their shadow tactics. He had already dismissed those who had given up from his mind. If these four worked as a team the mission would have been a simple one. However the fact that only one could be victorious made that impossible.

Rippa would quietly watch them leave before one of his men brought him one of his swords. Rippa would lift it to check the sights before nodding in thanks and moving to follow the group. It was fairly easy going for the first part of it. Traveling towards an objective at this level rarely had ambushes or scouts though he kept an eye out for as much. He would watch as they neared the compound and split apart. Each choosing a different approach. With a step he moved to the highest ground available and landed on a water tower. Planting his feet there his blue eyes would scan the compound and watch. He was the proctor here so he would need a clear view of it all. The Nara was moving quietly as was the Uchiha in the same direction. The Uzumaki girl was setting traps and the Sarutobi was...burning down the compound. He would sigh and wait still. Watching from his position before his eyes detected something moving. As each of the genin made their move a group of bandits shifted along the rooftops in a grid search pattern. Moving far too quickly for the genin and perhaps too quickly for his men to intervene in time. The group had either hired mercs or were being run by them.

Quickly Rippa would unsheathe Eve and point her at one of the ones closest to the Uchiha. With a second to aim Rippa pulled the trigger and let a bolt fly. Even before it went deep into the targets throat he was already spinning the Katana and reloading the new bolt. His finger pulling back the hammer as he took aim and fired again. He repeated this four times and each time with deadly precision at a target before the mercs were down. He would investigate them later. For now he noted the fighting had moved. The Uchiha and Uzumaki girl were back to back and surrounded. A smoldering mess suggested the Sarutobi had led the guard to them but he was no where to be seen. His men were already moving to eliminate the overwhelming odds though. A pity those two would be caught by the thirds foolishness. However the Nara wasn't with them. Rippa would step closer to the targets location before perching himself with one foot on the raised edge of the roof of the doorway as he listened.

Within the doorway the Nara had just dispatched of the guards using the others as a distraction and only striking when required. He had the hostage in tow and was ready to leave. However he was not alone. Rippa could almost feel the heat off of the other boy. The Sarutobi had made it within the room a moment before Rippa had gotten there. The Sarutobi burst into the room covered in soot and grinning before glancing about. He noted the men down first and then the target before noting the Nara. He had intended to have everyone else caught up in the guards chasing him but this was unexpected. The Nara had gotten there first. He growled and clenched his fists before entering a muay Tai stance. His fists and feet lighting on fire as his knee's and elbows smoldered red. He was angry and hostile that much was obvious. Still he only growled out on phrase. "Hand him over and I leave you your skin."

1304

As he looked towards the exit, the Sarutobi rounded the threshold. The two genin locked eyes on each other then the Sarutobi entered his fighting stance. His fists and his feet burst into flames as his knees and elbows produced a smoldering red glow which gave off a strong heat which Bōei could feel from across the room. With his arm wounded and little chakra to spare, he knew he would have to pull off some incredible works of wit and cunning to be able to beat the Sarutobi and complete his mission. "Hand him over and I leave you your skin." the boy growled as he stared down Bōei ready to scuffle. "Stay behind me," Bōei whispered to the target behind him as he slipped into his defensive stance. With no intention of surrendering, Bōei stood his ground and waited for the Sarutobi to attack him. He knew the Sarutobi was reckless and he would have to use this against him to make it out of the situation alive. The Sarutobi lurched forward with a flying knee aimed at Bōei's chest. He could feel the heat of the boy's body as it flew towards him. With a quick shift of his body, Bōei turned to his causing the boy to miss him. As he flew past, Bōei struck him with a palm strike to the ribs which he had left unprotected in his rush. Additionally Bōei reoriented his shadow into the boy's and bound it together allowing him to use the boy's shadow against him.

Angered by being struck, the boy rushed forward and began to throw a barrage of kicks and punches at Bōei. Bōei deflected as many of the blows as he could but the heat of the flames scorched his clothes and began to inflict burns on his body. "I can't keep this up much longer....damn...", he lamented to himself, "I need to end this now". With the fire burning inside of him, Bōei retaliated in kind with his own flurry of strikes aimed at the boy's sternum. His reckless abandon for himself caused him to be struck by almost all the blows Bōei threw at him but he would continue to fight. The two boys would continue to beat each other senseless, Bōei systematically weakening the Sarutobi's body by striking vital points with his fists and his shadow as a third arm while the Sarutobi would continue to use sheer force and his flames to strike and burn Bōei. As the two wore each other down, the Sarutobi made a critical mistake which would be his down fall. Although he was battered and burned, Bōei let forth one last ditch effort. The Sarutobi unleashed a ferocious high knee aimed at Bōei's head which left his lower body exposed. Realizing this Bōei launched forth his last ditch effort to defeat the Sarutobi. With all his might, Bōei caught the Knee with his right hand and held it there as he moved his body in tigher and swept the boy's plant leg from under him. Using his own body weight, Bōei surged forward driving the boy into the ground. As the two boys fell to the floor, Bōei used his shadow to wrap around the boy's throat and pulled him to the floor. The boy's body bounced off the floor with his head bouncing off the floor with considerable force of the shadow pulling him down and Bōei's body driving him down. Bōei lifted himself for the carnage he had just created, noticing the boy's head had begun to bleed and a pool of blood began to form underneath it. Realizing the boy was temporarily unconscious from the severe blow to the head, Bōei prepared himself to leave.

Bōei ensured the Sarutobi would not be able to follow him as he pulled his kunai and slashed the boy's Achilles tendon and the back of his knees. With his insurance policy set, Bōei spoke to the target, "Let's go. Follow me". He led the target out back the way he came, catching a glimpse of Rippā in the corner of his eye. Bōei's body was beaten, battered, bruised, and burned but out of sheer will power he continued on. He grabbed the target and carried him into the forest, gaining as much distance as he could back to the Sword Saint compound. As he lept from branch to branch, his body began to fail him as the toll of the mission began to set in. The sight of the Sword Saint logo on the walls of the compound in the distance was enough to overcome his quickly declining body as he pushed himself to make it to the doors. As he crossed the threshold of the compound he took three steps inside the door and dropped the target off just outside the courtyard. With his last conscious moments, he walked into the courtyard and grabbed his flag and planted it down. As he drove it into the ground, his body collapsed from underneath him. As he lay fading in and out of consciousness, he thought to himself, "I did it. That sucked. What a drag..." then proceeded to drift off into unconsciousness from his injuries.

Chakra:

[~Exit Thread~]


WC: 910
TWC: 2737

Training:
Silent Fist This Thread: 704/3000 Words
Silent Fist Total: 704(This thread) + 2296(Pt. 1 Thread) = 3000/3000 Words
Ninjutsu: B -> A (2033/3000)

Remaining WC:2737-704-2033= 0 Words

Rippa would stand quietly upon the roof of the building the two boys were in. From within that door onward it was their journey. If he interrupted them now it might lead to a lesson never being learned. It was in times of strife and pain people learned to depend on themselves the most. That they sought out their inner most flames and surged forward with everything they had. Be it to protect someone, to gain something or simply to survive people would struggle and risk life in order to emerge victorious. Truthfully he wasn't sure which of the boys would walk out of there. His arms crossed as he hoped they were mature enough to not endanger the rescued hostage. Still he would wait there on the roof and simply listen to what was happening inside. It was silent at first but then he heard the two boys speak. It appeared the Sarutobi was late to the party. He was threatening the other boy but that was hardly against the rules. There could only ever be one winner of this competition so in the end they were bound to fight each other. He simply hadn't expected it to be so direct.

Ordinarily a wise man would lay in wait and ambush the enemy before they could be detected if possible. Perhaps even lay some traps and make the terrain your advantage. He had high hopes for the Uzumaki girl for her understanding of this but she was already out of the race. The Sarutobi boy had turned one enemy against another. He was more clever than Rippa had given him credit for at first. Still the direct confrontation began and Rippa sighed. He doubted the individual they were rescuing had any idea what was going on. Probably frightened and confused but not enough to run luckily enough. That likely meant the young Nara Bōei was doing rather well in his fight. His blue gaze shifted to the group of men rounding up what was left of the bandits. The genin had done a rather large amount of damage. Clean up was a simple task by this point. Still his attention returned to the building beneath him as the sounds of struggle subsided. There was a victor it would seem. It only took a couple more minutes but out came the Nara, burned and bruised but walking with the hostage. He would let the young man move on his own back towards the village.

His attention was more towards the inside. Quickly he would hop down and casually walk into the building. The smell of burned cloth and skin was strong but heavily mixed in with blood. As he rounded the last corner he stopped and tilted his head. Examining from a distance before approaching the Sarutobi. He wasn't dead or maimed beyond reason but the Nara had certainly taken extra steps to insure he wasn't in danger of being followed. Rippa moved closer and knelt on one knee next to the young man. His hand producing a green orb as Rippa began to apply it to the wounds on his tendon before the wound on his head. Wild and fiery as he may be the young man would be bed ridden for a couple of days. Of course Rippa could of done more but this would suffice and give the boy time to think on what he did wrong. Not to mention the Nara and himself would be outside the village when he rose from his slumber, He sighed and stood as one of his men came in to collect the boy. Walking outside before flash stepping repeatedly back to the compound.

When he arrived Rippa landed in the courtyard at a brisk walk. His blue eyes searching and easily locating a flag planted there. A couple of his men were already collecting the rescued man and taking him to the hospital for a proper evaluation but the boy was still laying on the ground. Exhausted but having completed the objective. Rippa smiled at the gusto of the kid and bit his own finger. A small tendril of blood emerged as Rippa held the finger forth. The tendril reaching out before piercing the skin of the Nara. Even as it did the boys health began to dramatically change for the better. The burns faded to mere black smudges on his skin and the bruises went from nearly black to a light tinge of yellow until finally his skin looked fresh and unmarked. With that the tendril of blood returned and the slit on Rippa's finger closed. He turned to an approaching soldier before speaking.

"Return him to his bed wherever he registered as home. When he wakes he will return here I'm sure of it. Have two horses ready to leave at a moments notice. Pack them with water and food as well as a tent and some furs. Lastly have someone order some fresh Sushi and place it in a cooler. I want to have a gift where I'm going." With that the man left to do as ordered starting with the boy and Rippa would go to prepare himself with some rest as well.

2179
Exit thread

1000/5000 Taijutsu C-B