Chiyome had obtained her permit to purchase property in Kumogakure by pulling a few strings at the top. Her father’s wealth was near unlimited, and as such, she had near unimaginable funds at her disposal. She took that money and spent it on the nicest one bedroom accommodation she could find within the village. It was cozy, not quite as nice as the large open-range mansions she usually stayed at along the countryside, but she could not find many things to complain about as she spent her time personalizing it and making it her own. The sight of such a lovely place would have raised eyebrows of her peers, or perhaps made them look down upon her as being someone of too much privilege. Perhaps even granting them grounds to reinforce Seto’s opinion, that she was an over privileged brat. For that reason, Chiyome would probably never let anyone visit her home.

She had taken the time to grab the absolute necessities of life as a shinobi. The free entitlements she received in the form of a kunai, a couple of shuriken, and one shiny Kumogakure forehead protector. It was like when she went to business school, the little goody bag of free pencils and notebooks that's were all just sneaky advertisements and foot in the door tactics to get people to pay for the courses.

Chiyome had a quota to meet today. The goals she had set herself were to observe and maybe participate in training activities. If she followed the signs carefully, she could make it to the training area in a short time. She grabbed a small leather side bag with one strap and packed a bottle of water, hand wraps, her kunai and shuriken, and just before placing the headband in the bag she decided against it and kept it out, zipping the bag closed and laying it to the side.

She showered quickly, scrubbing herself with efficiency and speed, the way she handled all tasks. Her clothing of choice for this day were a dark-lavender blazer overtop of a long-sleeved black shirt with black leggings and athletic shoes. It was a warm outfit to fight the chill of the day, but she would be able to dress down and get the air circulation she needed to properly work out. She took her platinum blonde hair and pinned it into a slightly messy ponytail. After this, she picked up the kumo headband and stared at it for a few moments, thinking of what it symbolized. She belonged to them now. She tied it in the back tightly and kept it in the position it was intended for. Right across her forehead.

As she put her bag over her shoulder and made her way out onto the bustling village streets, she found almost no trouble at all following the signs to the spar/training areas. It was called “The Battle Plateau” which Chiyome found silly. Shinobi had this awful habit of being overly emotional and grandiose. She had seen all manner of overly emotional individuals wearing those signature village headbands. Individuals with too much emotion were a liability in warfare. It would've been wise for people to realize that centuries ago, wouldn't it?

It was only Chiyome approached the padded training dummy that she thought of all the people she had sent to horribly dangerous war zones out of spite. Karma was a bitch. Though, so was Chiyome. She was determined to give a big fuck you to karma and make the best of this. The style of taijutsu she used was called eagle claw Kung-Fu. She positioned herself, right hand open like a claw, pushing to the side quickly as if to deflect as her left arm extended in a hard thrust. She then repositioned her legs and quickly met the dummies throat with a grab and kicked out with a downward motion at where its legs would be, if it had legs.

She grinned vibrantly, realizing she had remembered much of the details of eagle claw, and would have not much trouble applying the enhanced physical prowess she would get from training. With only a bit of sharpening up, she'd be right back to where she needed to be. It was an easy decision for Chiyome, back when she initially chose taijutsu over a weapon specialization. Weapons had certain advantages such as reach, and possibly more cutting or piercing capability, but one could be disarmed. If an arm or a leg is removed, the battle may as well be over anyway, making martial arts a more dependable art form.

WC: 774

Opening an eye, Zetsume scanned around his small quiet apartment. Despite having amazing vision, he could not even see a foot in front of him as the sun was just about to rise. It was unlike him to awake from his sleep without the help of his loyal dog, Repede. His dog laid motionless, sound asleep at the end of his bed. The dog had his own bed yet it did not feel comfortable sleeping too far away from Zetsume, the two have been inseparable for quite some time. It took about an hour before the sun made his room visible and the dog awoke from his slumber as well. Zetsume however, had already been awake for awhile making breakfast for the two. It was nothing special just some cooked sausage, eggs, and a few slabs of bacon. After the two had finished their decent breakfast, Zetsume grabbed his gear which included a headband, a bow passed down through his family, and a few arrows which rested in his quiver. It was not unnatural for him to carry a bow around despite being able to form one through his own chakra. More or less it is mainly used as a false sense of security should one he is combating manages to disarm him. The tactic has worked many times, but not all the time. Today was the day he promised himself that he would train. With all the news of what is happening within his village he felt compelled to reach a higher mark than he is now. A strength that he thought even he couldnt reach, but alas, it seemed more like a far off dream rather than a possibility. He gave a small whistle before leaving and his dog promptly followed at his side.

Since becoming Jounin more and more people began to notice him. This was quite annoying as he could normally pass through the village without being asked questions from academy students or perhaps fans. Yet today one after another seemed to halt his progression to the Battle Plateau, a famous training spot within Kumogakure. It was a few hours walk, but with the constant annoyance of others, he did not think he would make it till around mid day. After about the tenth person talking to him, he finally decided it would be better to just run to it as he could not only make it there faster, but also not have to deal with others which is something he did not enjoy doing. With an almost effortless leap, he jumped onto buildings and hurried to the Battle Plateau. Repede followed close behind him from the ground, following his owner and friend always and forever.

By the time Zetsume made it to the Battle Plateau, the sun was already high in the sky. It made for a beautiful scenery, even though it was a bit hotter than what he is comfortable to. Zetsume, a loner at heart who had just wanted to train on his skills found one of his favorite spots already occupied by someone else. At first he was going to just find another spot, but... It was his first time seeing this ninja which is rare in his village. Once his anxiety of meeting new people subsided, he walked calmly towards the fellow Kumogakure ninja. With a warm voice he said, "Hey! Mighty fine day we are having yea? You wouldnt mind if I trained with you now would you?" After his words a smile formed on his face, one that was almost too genuine to be real.

Upon getting closer he could tell that the unknown shinobi was a female, and of a lower rank than him. Some of the other ninjas of his rank probably would have never tried to train with him, and sure, he did not like talking to people but training with fellow Shinobi of his village was another story. He has always enjoyed the company of those within his village, but the ones that are making a difference when it comes to the well being of his village was something that he respected. The normal civilian might get a few stories from Zetsume, but a fellow shinobi would more than likely hear Zetsume talk more than they would like. Repede was close beside Zetsume, stopping when he did to sit down. A small rush of excitement hit Zetsume like a house as he could feel his heart yearning for training and the company of a shinobi from his village. Despite being seemingly friendly, Zetsume was still ready to defend himself in case the other one was not as friendly as he would have thought. \

WC:781

In a world such as this, being a four foot tall, sixty-seven pound woman was not exactly the safest venture. Though one would think themselves safe in a village full of those lovely white knight style shinobi, the perverts also had it available to them to become skilled in stealth and could possibly use that skill to become more successful kidnappers. These thoughts existed in Chiyome’s head right now only because she wasn't yet as strong as she COULD be. She would never carry an irrational fear, but this one was a realistic one.

And in shock, Chiyome nearly jumped out of her skin as a voice brushed her ears out of nowhere. Just as she had delivered a roundhouse kick to the training dummy. The surprise caused her to wince a bit as she expected this was the end of her life. She felt the man was going to grab her and that would be the end of the story of Chiyome Hinode. To her great fortune, as she slowly turned her head toward the voices source as it finished its statement, she was mistaken. He looked to be a proud kumo-nin, excited to encounter a training newblood. His smile wasn't fake. In the business world, Chiyome had seen all sorts of crocodile smiles, and this wasn't one. She decided to present herself in the regular direct, militaristic style. She turned, full front facing and gave a bow, one hand behind her back. She then raised her hand for a formal shake and said “I would not mind at all, sir. My name is Chiyome, I am of the Hinode clan. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am a genin of kumo, though I'm starting quite late as I've worked in civilian business for most of my life.”

She hoped he would take her hand, as if he did not, Chiyome would feel slightly humiliated. The man looked to be about six feet tall with brown hair and a diagonal scar across the center of his forehead and the bridge of his nose. His eyes were a bright blue hue, much like hers and he was dressed in darker clothing, fit for the temperature of the day. Following close behind him was a dog, wolf-like in appearance, black with a grey streak upon its chest and underbelly, as well as its face.

After offering her hand out, whether he shook it or not, Chiyome would pull her hand wrappings out of her bag and start wrapping her fists as to keep them from bruising too badly during any sparring which might have unfolded.  She had no idea of the skill level her sparring partner might have been, so really she could make a move and be annihilated. So she would wait to see what kind of training he might have in mind. She didn't even know his rank just yet, afterall. It was unlikely that he was as old as her, despite the size and height difference presented. She would await his responses and for him to make the next motion.

WC: 525
TWC: 1299

When the shinobi turned around to greet his words with her own, she looked younger than what he would have expect. It was not until when her name was spoken that he understood. Hinode, from previous encounters with people of her clan they had younger features that age goes on to believe. A moment of relief ran through him as he realized how bad it would look for him to fight a kid but as an unknown age, it would be hard to guess her rank. When Chiyome was done speaking a part of him was baffled about how open forward she was with her identity. An awkward moment happened when she bowed and held out her hand. Zetsume was stricken by anxiety. Being a long range fighter anyone within his close proximity bothered him not to mention actually touching people. He was so used to attacking and being away from people that actually being near them terrifies him a little. Not enough that he would be rude and not accept her shake. The fear quickly subsided as he took a deep breath before speaking. Zetsume walked forward and shook the hand of Chiyome. Her tiny hand being engulfed almost within his. Giving her a warm smile.

"A Hinode eh? I dont really see much of your clan these days, then again I rarely see ones from my own. The name is Zetsume Zix, I am a jounin from this fine village."

She was much smaller than he was but still there was a fire in her eyes and he could see it. Something that yearned for what everyone wants, a life worth living. It was quite rare for civilians to join the shinobi force. Most of the ninja come from a respected blood line and are raised since an early age to fight. Even he could remember the brutal trainings from within his clan and from his father. The kyodara blood was his, but the name has been mostly forsaken. While his fellow members relish within their nobility, he could not help but wonder what use were they really in the grand scheme. During times of war they are the ones cheering on the shinobi but when they are forced to take up arms Zetsume knows most of his clan will not. This is the main reason for his change of name and in doing so he gained a new respect for himself. Zetsume took a few steps back as to not seem daunting towards the genin. It also put his  mind at easy being further away as he does not like being close to another. Zetsume went to speak again but was cut short by Repede's bark.

"My my where are my manners, this fellow here is Repede. He is mostly friendly, but be warned he tries to gain attention. So you mentioned you joined the force late in life due to the civilian life, what made you change your life style? You could be living comfortably within the walls yet you chose this life why? That is if you do not mind me asking of course, I do not mean to pry into ones life, but I cant help but to be curious as to why?"

Zetsume realized he was delving within another's personal life but it did not matter. He had to know whether this person could be trusted on the battle field. One day the two might work together and should it happen he had to make sure that this persons feelings were true and just. A small part of him wants her to be so, yet in these dark days many of his fellow shinobi fled the village becoming missing-nin. He stood a few feet before her with his hand in his pockets. Repede was not as shy as Zetsume was as he quickly moved close to the other in an attempt to get attention. Zetsume would normally feel caution for this as he cared for his pooch dearly, but he didnt feel any hostility nor threat towards her. So for the time being he would allow Repede the comfort of moving towards a stranger.

WC:694
Total:1475

The handshake was completed, though a bit of hesitation did take place. Zetsume was a Jounin. That was a bit of a surprise. If he was as adept as those of his rank normally were,  Chiyome would not have any hopes of appropriately competing with him in a hand to hand spar. Or any sort of contest of skill, really.  She wasn't viewing this revelation as a negative one, however. A jounin in her presence would be able to teach her all manner of things, even if he did not share her combat style necessarily. He seemed to understand what her clan was, citing that he had not seen many in recent times. It was at that time that the dog, who was introduced to Chiyome as “Repede” barked in an effort to gather the attention of the two.

Chiyome had a soft spot for animals, as unlike humans, they were more often than not free entirely of malice. They sought only to serve and be acknowledged in most cases. If she knelt down, the dog would likely be at her height, which was a bit daunting but she did so anyway, trusting that Repede would take her small frame into consideration and by charge her down into the dirt. Regardless of how Repede approached, the aftermath would not differ. Chiyome would kneel next to him, stroking his fur as she picked through her mind to find the right way to phrase her story to Zetsume. It was a wager, really. The reality of her story would make her sound far less venerable and noble, and by the way he spoke of Kumogakure earlier, he was at least a little patriotic. Being a jounin probably contributed to that as well. Living a life of service to the village would lead one to have positive feelings toward it, certainly.  She would tell a true story warped only in some details from the truth.

“I spent the first part of my life under my father's wing, helping him run a business which helped people by providing them with medics for hire, and assisted the medics in finding lucrative work and making a commission off of helping them. It was part charity, but made a decent amount of ryo. My father is entirely wealthy, and decided to move on to bigger things, so he left the business in the hands of another gentleman which I will leave unnamed as I don't wish to be cruel. He made poor business decisions and so now I have taken up the life of a shinobi to serve and protect my homeland. I will not fail. Kumogakure no Sato is the greatest village, and we must remind the world that. Especially Kiri, who deems itself worthy of invading us.”

Chiyome was still stroking Repede as she feigned getting too passionate and covered her mouth in a show of silencing herself. “My apologies. These last few weeks have been desperately stressful and my blood does boil over these happenings.”

She stood up to her still short stature and gave a gentle smile before dusting off the knees of her leggings. "Repede is a wonderful dog, it must be lovely having him to keep you company. Speaking of which, what is your story, Zetsume. Enlighten me as to how a jounin finds his way face to face with an underdeveloped adult genin on the training grounds of Kumogakure. What events brought you to this day?"

She needed to know more. It could be entirely lucrative to have a man of his caliber on her side, but she would only have it if she felt him trustworthy and knew he would not impede her progress.

WC: 618
TWC: 1917

Standing there he felt relived as she pet Repede. Like always the dog manages to gain attention, which helps Zetsume seem like a less awkward individual. While he is quiet for most of the part and antisocial, Repede is social and tends to go to whatever human will pet him so long as Zetsume is not defensive. The dog had a way with reading body movements, something that comes in handy. Zetsume stood there as Chiyome spoke of her family and the business. Though why would bad business choices move her towards a life of kill or be killed. Why would a father give a business to someone outside his family and if the choices were so bad why not claim ownership. Thoughts as these raced through his head in moments. However prying into ones life is annoying and troublesome to say the least. So for the time being he would not nit pic on such things. By the time the genin finished speaking she was upright just a few feet from Zetsume. Giving a small chuckle, he figured he would reply to her promptly.

"Careful with how you speak around him, dont let his ego get any larger than it already is. OUCH!" Repede gave Zetsume a mild bite on the hand in disapproval. Rubbing his hand, before speaking again "No need to apologize to me, my intentions are to protect these people from any and all. As for your question, i suppose we can chalk it up to chance. These parts are somewhat like a home to me. With the dummies and trees I can have ample spots to shoot from. I,like you, have been worried about these last events that happened in these walls. I feel an urgency of strength calling to me, should this village come under attack. So I figured it was a good time to get the blood flowing, Repede is not too bad a sparing partner. If you would like, I would not mind seeing a Hinode in action. Dont let the title fool ya though, I am the weakest Jounin in this village by far I think. Repede will not interfere unless he senses I am in danger. "

Zetsume was not intended to spar too intensely as most of his attacks were designed to kill. He would have to leave his archery out of the equation unless he wants to hurt her like he did Kaekio. The image of shooting her still in his memory. Zetsume took off his bow and quiver throwing it to the side before putting his hand up as if he were to fight. He knew he had not the talent nor strength to call a fist fight bluff, but he has a decent amount of speed alongside a few genjutsus. He remembered when he walked up that she was practicing a close range style. What it was perhaps was beyond his thinking. Taijutsu to Zetsume is a somewhat useless practice to Zetsume. As staying afar and attacking seemed the better choice, perhaps why his clan survived despite being frail in the body. Sparing like this was not his forte' but he can not have another incident like last time. So he would have to take it easy, though he would have to make sure not to get hit. Zetsume's blood began to race as he felt a somewhat joy in sparing with others, it is the ideal way to see someone in action without seeing death afterwards.  Repede quietly walked towards a nearby spot and laid down with his head on his paws watching the two intently. The dog knew better than to interfere with a spar unless invited. Zetsume watched in curiosity on how the shinobi would react to his request.

WC:627
Total:2544

They shared sentiments on the village, or at least they did at a base level. She had inflated her patriotism a bit for the sake of appeal, but she certainly hadn't outright lied to him. She did not necessarily enjoy telling blatant lies. As if understanding exactly what Zetsume said of him, Repede responded with a playful nip at him, at which Chiyome chuckled. She was glad that Zetsume liked her at a base level. This made things so much easier. All of the awkward notions of breaking the ice seemed to have passed, and Chiyome truly enjoyed Repede.

All introductions aside, and the small necessities taken care of, Zetsume proposed that they get down to business. Chiyome bit her lip lightly as she entered deep thought as to how the hell she was going to take on someone like this. In just about very aspect he was probably superior. She could end up battered and broken rather easily, she didn't even know much in the way of actual techniques. Regardless, she was not one to back down, and she doubted Zetsume would cripple her in any serious way in a traditional hand to hand spar. At worst, she would take some pointers out of the experience and go home with lots of grass stains and bruises. That's what she hoped, at least.

“It’s an honor to have the opportunity. May the best, or luckiest come out victorious.”

There was no better time than right now to begin. She positioned her feet shoulder width apart, raising her right arm in a claw position, and keeping her left arm at her side, bent and ready to move at a moment's notice. She then reverted the stance, bowed honorably, and returned to it. She would wait for him to bow in return, or for an uncomfortable amount of seconds to pass, signaling he had no intention of bowing. At that time, regardless, she would take it upon herself to suddenly move in, preemptively using her right arms claw formation to grab guard the upper right while her left hand would take the same claw formation and reach up in an effort to grab his throat. If her right open claw succeeded in grabbing his arm, she would grip tightly, as an eagle with its prey would, and use her palm to make an enhanced strike attempt at his solar plexus, utilizing a technique called the Altitude Training Fist. Enhanced by one of her other techniques which was aptly named There Were Three Hits, she would have a total of three opportunities to land that strike to the solar plexus. If she was successful in landing that strike, her opponents diaphragm would lock in place and he would no longer be capable of inhaling, triggering the start of the suffocation countdown.

This series of attacks was a very rush-down, offensive style of confrontation utilizing Eagle Claw Kung-Fu. There was massive opportunity that this would all be unsuccessful based on her opponent's ability to react, or the way he initiated. She knew this, but she wanted to show that she was not intimidated and would put up as much a fight as she could.

If she failed to make contact in any way, she would keep the three strikes readied for a future opportunity.

WC: 558
TWC: 2475

OOC:

Chakra 25/50:

The ninja that he had requested a friendly spar had replied in the usual respectful and honorable way, something that took Zetsume's liking. Not that he was anything to really look up to in his mind, but simple courtesy and respect can be shown in the words they choose to speak. Chiyome assumed a rather unusual stance before him. While her right hand was raised in a rather peculiar way, similar to that of a beast that fights with it's claw. Not that reading her movements would do him any good, Taijutsu was inefficient in his mind. As he was done trying to visualize the fighting stance efficiency and applicability, images of cats clawing and tigers shredding popped into his mind as Chiyome made a most gracious bow. Zetsume laid his arms flat to his side, taking off his jacked to show his plain white shirt underneath and his heirloom necklace shined in the sun, and gave a similar bow out of respect; bowing not lower nor higher than her and like that she resumed the stance that was seen before. Repede gave out a half lazy yawn and in a moments notice she made the first move. Zetsume was in no position to allow any attacks to land for he remembers reading of the famous "Might Guy" and his title for being the strongest ninja to have ever lived bestowed upon him by the calamity known as Madara. He knew the dangers that awaits those who underestimate anyone, and he was not one to underestimate.

While Chiyome was fast, something that is vital in Taijutsu just as is strength, she was not fast enough. Like that Zetsume met her speed with his own, moving to the left as her claw like right hand came for his arm. During this transition of movement, Chiyome's left hand reached for his throat in an attempt to grab. This hand was closer to succeeding as her nails grazed his skin as he hopped back a few meters from her. Zetsume let out a deep breath, as he realized how close she really got to grabbing him. Even Repede looked up in excitement.

"You scared me with that movement, I guess its time I show you my Taijutsu technique.Requires some time so don't mind me"

To someone unknown it is not unlikely that they would believe his bold face lie, he knew not a single taijutsu nor even cared to learn about it. Zetsume brought his right leg up, bent along side his waist as he brought his hands together in a clap. Following his movements with a forward stomp with his raised foot  looking into Chiyome's eyes and at that moment using his genjutsu to use False Image, and like that he made a leap into the air. The image would be in that ridiculous pose while he would try his hardest to land gracefully without making a noise much further away than he already was. Should she again rush him she will be met with only a false image of him and would have to find him. During that time Zetsume formed a Chakra bow within his hand that would undoubtedly give his position away as it was not too subtle. Drawing back a Force arrow from his bow, he let it go flying towards Chiyome that would only slightly fly right by her but Zetsume also cast One-Hundred Arrow Illusion at the same time. When chiyome would find Zetsume the arrows would have blanketed the distance between them in a spectacular light show. Only one of the arrows could have harmed Chiyome, but Zetsume purposely shot it as a missed shot. He wanted to see how a Taijutsu user would handle this, if they could at all. For him, maybe some sort of defensive jutsu rests within her. He didnt know, but he wanted to see more of this shinobi and her capabilities. With eyes peeled wide, he awaited the response.

WC:667
Total: 3211

Chakra 240/300:

Her strikes were met with the evasion she would have expected from a man of Zetsume’s level of skill. Her nails, cut short thankfully for him, ever so lightly graced the skin of his throat as he hopped back out of Chiyome’s reach. She recovered her footwork back to her former stance, legs shoulder width apart, her left placed in front of the other as she faced him. He had leapt backwards about four meters and took a few moments to convey to her that she had startled him with her sudden, forward bearing assault. He then prepared himself for a taijutsu technique, which had him stomp forward, causing Chiyome to position her hands across in a brace formation, fearing a sudden speedy assault. She made eye contact with him through the small gap in her crossed arms, watching carefully but realizing he was making no advance.

Chiyome dropped her defensive stance and rushed in sweeping her legs at his in hopes to trip him, but realizing she had been duped. This imposter was non-reactive. She was aware that at any moment she could be devastated before she even knew what hit her, and with that knowledge a sweat broke on her forehead. She looked around desperately before seeing a glow off in the distance. Around about thirty meters further back, Zetsume stood with a bow drawn in hand, which loosed a chakra arrow suddenly. Range was a weakness of Chiyome’s, no doubt. She was moments away from moving her arms to block where the arrow seemed to be traveling when suddenly it was not just one, but 100 arrows. A wall of certain doom approached at speeds Chiyome could hardly think to react to. In a do or die effort, she pulled down her headband to cover her eyes and crossed her arms, one over her throats and the other over hear chest. At least she would make an effort to save her vital bits.

Not wanting to waste any time groaning over the impending pain she expected to occur any millisecond now, she dove onto the ground and did a somersault, immediately breaking into a sprint upon standing back up. She still had her eyes protected, and somehow, far too much time had passed now and she had not felt anything. She pulled her headband up as she continued her rush forward, hoping he didn't simply dart away before she could close in on him. In an effort to manipulate, seeing no real way to win this without doing something unique, she faked tripping at full sprint. She did this at about five meters from Zetsume, convincingly imitating the look of a hard stumble. Just as she prepared to hit the ground, she would smile sadistically and catch herself doing a tuck and roll maneuver and as she raised out of that maneuver she would attempt to land the stored up strike on Zetsume’s solar plexus once again.

If this deception was successful, she would deliver three quick punches in succession, to his abdomen. Any of which would cause his diaphragm to become paralyzed and prevent inhalation. If it were unsuccessful, and evaded, Chiyome would make an attempt at resuming a defensive stance with her arms braced for any retaliatory strikes, if possible.

Chiyome had no qualms about using deception, as her opponent had now done so twice.

WC: 566
TWC: 3041

Chakra 25/50:

Watching from afar, Zetsume stood there with anticipation. To his amazement, her only defensive route was covering her vital organs with her arms and eyes covered with a headband. Sprinting at the wall, Zetsume could not help but to chuckle a little. He thought that if that jutsu had been the attack the illusion was based on, her body would have been decimated. Zetsume however, forgot for just a moment he was fighting a genin. The realization happened when Chiyome who was still sprinting towards him tripped and began to fall face first into the ground. He had been so caught up in the moment that he had forgotten that his sparing partner was indeed a genin. A general fear loomed on him as memories of Kaekio getting hurt flashed through his mind. Zetsume stepped forward with a hand out in an attempt to grab her even though she was 5 meters from him at the time, shouting in the process. He had hoped that she wouldn't get injured.

"Watch out!"

As those words left his mouth, she rolled forward with what appeared to be a menacing look upon her face. Zetsume took a moment to realize he was tricked and his fear was misplaced as the genin pressed on. At that moment Zetsume was completely off guard, his thought was not into the fight but elsewhere and the distance was dire in his case. At a time like this, why was he not focusing his hardest on the fight, perhaps it was because of the happenings recently within his village. With four meters separating them, he would have to think fast, as fast as he could, he used Animal Illusion using Repede as the illusion choice, while pulling another Force arrow from the chakra mass. Repede was the fasted thing his mind could conjure as the two have been inseparable since meeting one another. It was his only rock in this shaken up world he lived in. One more trick would have to be done, as she would be attempting to hit, Repede will jump in the way, the illusion of course. Zetsume had hoped that Chiyome would stop short out of concern for the dog's safety. The real Repede was behind her laying still on his stomach still visible in pain sight. Hoping that their previous exchange left a somewhat impressionable mark on her, Zetsume would have to rely on this trick at this range. Despite the sweat forming on his head, he was enjoying this more than he should be. The problem with his trick is if the genin goes forward with the attack or perhaps couldn't register it within time. Zetsume had an arrow drawn from the mass ready to fire at the genins stomach It would not pierce skin, but the impact would undoubtedly leave Chiyome breathless. The shot will not leave his bow unless she attempts to come at him again if she stops or keeps going with her original attack. Zetsume's eyes fixed on his fellow comrade in arms only three meters away now. He felt the rush of combat, an old friend of his, came rushing back. Zetsume had no intention of dodging the attack should it press on, maybe a hit will knock some sense into him or perhaps strengthen his body.

WC:555
Total: 3766

230/300:

Chiyome was counting everything on this one attack. Her deceptive fall had startled her sparring opponent and with that, she grew almost within arms reach of Zetsume. Just as she felt things were going in her favor, time seemed to flow slowly in these odd instances of each players move in the spar. Closing in one step at a time, Repede was suddenly jumping across her line of sight. It was a nuisance, really. A damper on her feelings of potential victory. Two facts pranced through her mind which lead her to a conclusion that Zetsume would hardly have been able to expect. The first fact being that of the conversation just before the jounin challenged Chiyome to a spar. Her mind flickered to a scene of it, Zetsume telling her distinctly that Repede wouldn't intervene unless he felt his owner was in danger. This was a spar, and so there was hardly any real threat, and Repede was the dog of a shinobi. He was likely intelligent enough to distinguish real threats from false ones.

The other key point which flickered through Chiyome's mind as she proceeded to charge directly through the Repede, was that of how many deceptive tactics had already been used in this spar. Chiyome was too eager to stop her assault now, so she was going to count on this being a hoax and charge directly through, as even though she liked Repede, she cared more for herself and the glory she would feel once she managed to lay hands on this Jounin. She barged forward, ignoring the intervention of the hound, whether it was an illusion or the real deal. Now in reach, all distance between the two having elapsed now, she noticed the arrow and realized there was no going back now, without hesitation she pressed forth and delivered her three strikes to Zetsume’s torso, loading the medically enhanced raiton into his diaphragm and freezing it up. She was completely open to being hit by the notched arrow, and nothing on her part would stop it from impacting her directly in the stomach.

As she connected her blows she must have looked awfully wild, as her adrenaline had never reached these levels before in her life. The business world did not offer a whole lot in the way of excitement. This life of action was now looking to be a boon rather than a hindrance, and it was all just in that moment of success that Chiyome understood that. Regardless of what happened after she connected her series of punches, Chiyome would look up after the events that followed finished and say to Zetsume “I would advise against knocking me unconscious unless you're a medic, I'm your only way of regaining your breathing. You'll suffocate without my help.”

Chiyome may have sounded a little pretentious, but it was partly true. Zetsume likely wouldn't have the strength to knock his diaphragm back into action, and it was only a matter of time now before he would run out of oxygen to fight with. The thought danced in Chiyome’s head in these next few moments, however, that Zetsume had entered into a closer range spar than what he needed to just to give her a chance. He could have maintained his distance the entire time with his ludicrous speed, and beat her down with arrows she would not have been capable of avoiding at all. This was not a case of a genin defeating a jounin, this was a learning experience that Zetsume had given Chiyome, and it was a gift. Allowing Chiyome room to grow and test her capabilities rather than using his clear advantage to bully her. This was a noble gesture. An act of unnecessary kindness on his behalf. And for that, she was thankful.

WC: 641
TWC: 3682

His tricks had no effect as she charge at him with such ferocity that an almost tiger like image replaced her for a second in his mind. Zetsume had to show a small display of power as he used Shi No Yoake (Dawn Of Death). As her attack landed, his arrow released and passed by her head, only a hair strand away and then dispersed into one hundred arrows as they tore holes through trees in the distance. The trees toppled with a large crash of thunder and brilliance that could be heard from afar. He had no intentions of causing her harm which was all of his arsenal except nit bits here and there. So a small show of how one sided range is to her close range had to be made. If this was the attack he used earlier, her body would have been almost indistinguishable from shredded meat. Zetsume's body felt three hits upon his body as his last breath was taken. Doubling over Zetsume hiding a grin from her as he did not want to seem cocky, instead a different approach came over him. He would allow her this win not for his sake but hers. If he would have went all out, what learning and experience would she have accomplished from swinging at air and never being able to land a blow? She needed to feel what it was like to attack with such ferocity. For him winning and losing mean naught and her words were amusing to him as he really had to be reliant on her cooperation. It was true, his guard was let down but only by his own choice and he did have to convince her for help even though what she says could be a bold face lie. What if she cant help and I die like this, a mockery because I was too lenient? No, repe..., Zetsume doubled over which caused a spark in Repede who came flying full sprint towards Chiyome. In that moment the dog had genuine concern as he had not been used to seeing Zetsume getting hurt. The action took Repede by surprise and his emotions ran as wild as he did. Zetsume had been all the dog had known, losing him would mean losing his own life. Repede would die for Zetsume and kill anyone who tries to harm him... or at least attempt to. A certain fear ran through Zetsume.

"N...", and a raised hand came shortly after, as he desperately tried to warn Repede that he was mostly alright. Repede quickly acknowledged this, but felt uneasy as his fangs were bare. The dog's sprint came to a slow trot which ended him laying close to Zetsume, whining ever so softly now. Rolling on his back, Zetsume knew he had but moments to take action before the lack of oxygen takes hold.. If he passes out, Repede might become hostile towards Chiyome possibly attacking her jugular. With the dog's size compared to Chiyome's, he feels like he could rip her throat out for what she did. He did not understand why Zetsume would allow himself to get hurt. The emotions ran through the dog as his whimpers were turning into growls slowly as Zetsume's consciousness began to fade. That could lead to a problematic situation, Zetsume quickly placed a hand on his dog to reassure him before motioning Chiyome to help him. He felt a sudden reassurance with what he had done as his body began to ache. Zetsume embraced the pain that was coming. Due to his frail body the suffocation seemed to work faster than he would have liked.  His eyes began to slightly fade to darkness as he hoped she would help him before he lost consciousness. Should she not help him, he feared for the worst as to what his dog might do. He could only but hope that things turn better soon because the position he is in could turn dire and a moments notice. He could not allow this to happen and should he pass out before he gets help from Chiyome, he would attempt to give Repede one last past of assurance.

Enjoy the win this time, the world if far more cruel than I...., he thought as consciousness seemed to have faded entirely.

WC: 723
Total: 4489

The arrow which passed by Chiyome’s head after she landed her blows and retreated must have been an intentional miss, for if it were not, Zetsume had almost just killed her. The magnificent display of power that the arrow unleashed in the scenery behind them was something of legend. Chiyome could only state, jaw wide in awe at the display. She turned back to face the man who had given her such an amazing spar, and she felt accomplished. This jounin was losing his grasp on consciousness with each passing second, Chiyome knelt down to him slowly, realizing that Repede was now on the offensive, seeing true danger had washed over his owner. Wasting no time at all and understanding that mincing words meant nothing here, Chiyome pressed her fingers to Zetsume’s diaphragm and relieved the paralysis from it, which he would realize suddenly as he was able to inhale again.

That being accomplished, Chiyome would reach into her bag and pull out the unopened water bottle, handing it to Zetsume and looking at Repede to double check that he had stood down by this point. She was not really into the idea of being mauled today. Chiyome sat on the ground and panted. She had not had that amount of physical activity in years. Maybe not in her entire life. She had never anticipated enjoying the physical life of a shinobi, but she sat wrong on that day.  “You could have ran circles around me, evaded my every strike, took me down without breaking a sweat. Most people of higher standing in society choose to beat down those below them, so why, Zetsume Zix, do you choose to be different?” she said, smiling and with a dash of sarcasm as she still fought to catch her breath and keep the stinging sweat from dropping into her eyes.

It was then that Chiyome realized in all of that sparring session just how much time they had spent. The sun had shifted extremely, it must have been around 6:00 in the evening. She could feel it. She was exhausted and it would be in the morning that her muscles would start to ache from all of that activity. “The next time we spar, you cannot hold back. I will become strong enough to handle it, or I deserve the wounds and bruises I may receive in the process.”

She meant that, and wanted to ensure that in no way was he convinced that Chiyome truly believed she had won some great victory against a jounin. She was fully aware that he allowed this to occur, though it was still quite nice that he didn't fully account for the threat the Altitude Training Fist would pose to his body. Chiyome was the exact opposite sort of fighter as Zetsume. If he were to hand her a bow and challenge her to a spar that way, she would look like a damned fool. There was no doubt in her mind. Perhaps this experience would serve Zetsume the benefit of knowledge of how a well studied martial artist may fight. And that a lack of medical knowledge could be deadly to his health, as well.

WC: 535
TWC: 4217

And like that, breath was given back to him in a sudden gasp of air. Repede continuously licked his face in joy as Zetsume pushed him off and sat on the ground with his legs crossed. Her words crossed his mind of people in higher power beating down those of lower current quality. The idea always shrouded his mind during some missions on how some what unfair his fighting style is. It was not meant for these types of sparing but for destruction and that alone. For him to go all out, it would mean that living and dying are hanging in the background. From afar he could strike foes down with little fear or care. It was a style he had preferred throughout these years. Had this shinobi not been in this spot, he would have surely toppled more trees than he did. Though all in all, it was to him an enlightening experience.

"Why you ask? Tell me when you cut a tree down to build a house, do you choose the smallest or the largest? Yea, sure, I could have dodged your attacks and gave you much harsher repercussions for being so bold, but what would you have gained from it? The moment I noticed you did not have anything to protect yourself from my range, I could not show you how I really fight. When it is done like this you can get a thrill of excitement, I myself sought it. I wanted to see what taijutsu was about and you showed me that I should just stick to my shadows and distant. Hahaha"

The chuckle left his lips as a mouthful of water ran down his throat and like that he felt refreshed as he jumped up quickly brushing the dirt off of him before retrieving his jacket. Putting it on, he spoke in a more serious note than before.

"I have killed many people without ever seeing their face, let alone fighting style they have practiced for ages. In a spar like this I can witness things I can not enjoy out there, in that world. You gave me a spectacular show."

Zetsume stood a few feet away from Chiyome now, putting his hands towards his side and bowing in a respectful way. "Thank you Hinode, Chiyome for the splendid spar. Perhaps we should go on a mission and I can show you how scary I can be?"

Had Chiyome been from another village, Zetsume would not have shown them the same kindness he showed her. To him they were not his family, and his world. Zetsume knew his role in this world, to be as effective at killing as possible. However, he had began to question if he should have taken a different route of training. While earlier Chiyome spoke of needed a medic ninja to heal his affliction, was she also one? Zetsume did not really know as what she did seemed simple. Should she bow again, Zetsume would start speaking again or after a few moments he will.

"Are you a medical ninja by any chance?", Zetsume knew the importance of having a medical ninja on his side. It also helps that she was indeed close range. Should the two work together in the future, she could be quite usefull in combat with him as she would devastate the front lines as he would support her from afar. Though as she was now, she was not ready to be put into too dire situations. He would have to hope that this encounter helped his fellow shinobi gain strength she might not have known she had. Zetsume could not but to help wonder what the future held.

WC: 615
Total: 5104

“Ah yes, wise words indeed. I did gain things from our spar here today, moreso than I might have been able to if you had scattered my pieces the way you did the scenery back behind me. Yes, truly, I have gained passion for the ninja arts, and I am now ascertained that my place is no longer with civilian interests. I am Kumogakure, as are you. I also have gained familiarity with a brother of our great village.” Chiyome had a flair for making her dialogue very dignified and alluring. It was something business school had left her with. One must always play up on the values their conversational counterpart holds dear.

The man was a killer, as most shinobi of all ranks were. He said that with no real remorse in his voice, which was good. He was confident in his purpose and had little to regret. It was most certainly true that those who had fallen to his bow were just simply not the fittest. And life was in fact based around the survival of the fittest. Natural selection existed even in humans, whether they wanted to believe it or not was irrelevant.

“There is a necessity and an advantage to long range combatants. Oftentimes they are vital to a successful assault. However, once the gap is closed by someone of equal caliber, you have got to know how to defend yourself. If I were on your level of reflexes and speed, and this was not a spar but a life or death conflict, you would not have lasted long at all. On that same token, if that were the case you could have possibly split my skull before I knew you were here. Your marksmanship is impressive without a doubt. Good enough aim to miss me twice, intentionally.”

He offered up a mission at a future time. This was excellent. With support from someone as skilled in ranged combat strategies as Zetsume, no mission would be difficult in the slightest with his assistance. “Yes please, I would love to embark on a mission with you soon. As soon as we can make that happen please let me know.” His next question was easier to answer than any of the former, for yes, Chiyome was a medical ninja indeed. “Yes, I am in fact a medic Both by trade and by speciality.”

WC: 395
TWC: 4613

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Zetsume listened to the ninja as she spoke her words. Some were filled with accomplishment while others compliments. Though the real questions were answered, and that was he had a new mission companion. He did not entirely enjoy taking Repede as he would be devastated should he die. As it turned out Chiyome was indeed a medic ninja, a rather invaluable asset towards any mission as they could not only help their comrades, but also keep enemies alive for interrogation. The sun was almost setting and the air became somewhat chilled. Scratching his head, he replied in the same similar friendly manner he was accustomed to when talking to people from his village.

"No need to flatter me with kind words, they can be quite troublesome. While I may have enjoyed this encounter a little more than I should have, the darkness that looms over our village is present everyday. As shinobi we must hone our skills and unite one another for the greater good of our people. The only way I have known to help is to kill those who I deem a threat before they can cause harm. It might have led me to some questionable decisions but I do not regret them. I would slaughter men, women, and children to keep my people safe"

Zetsume turned his back while speaking to peer into the sunset as it was just reaching the horizon. His stomach was growling something fierce but from where he stood, the scenery was breathtaking. Everything from the shine of the sun to the shapes of the clouds, it all seemed too unreal. Zetsume became lost within his thoughts as he gathered more words to speak to his fellow shinobi.

"You're right about my own weaknesses, it is something I am not unfamiliar with. Had you been training since I have, I might not have even been able to hold a candle to you. Then again my whole style is not built for sparing or training, which does make me somewhat unqualified as a sensei in many eyes. I have tried to take students in the past, but it is quite troublesome."

Zetsume walked over towards Chiyome and held out his hand with a smile on his face. "Keep striving Chiyome, you have the right kind of fire that could ignite our people in a passionate way. I look forward to our next encounter though I know not when it may be. I will put in a request to take you alongside me on a mission or two. If it is so, I will send Repede for you. His nose will surely find you faster than my eyes will. I bid you farewell and take care. Should you need help, seek me out if need be."

With that being said, Zetsume left the training grounds feeling a small bruise on his chest and laughed a little out of range of Chiyome's ears. Had she wanted to she could have killed him. All of his training and hard work would have been in vain but she did not. In this world, it is hard to find your enemies, but it is even harder to find true allies. He had hoped this encounter increased her responsibility towards this village and her people. Even though if that were not the case, at least Zetsume's will to press on became evidently much stronger. He had to become a person that people could look up to, that they would admire. Then again, would he even enjoy all the people? He already avoids people like they are a plague, not out of dislike but out of fear and anxiety. Zetsume placed his hand on his dogs head before heading out towards their favorite Steak House. As always it was an amazing time with amazing food. The owners had no problem with Repede sitting on their chairs as Zetsume had once helped them with a band of rude customers. He was a usual there and he liked that they were nice to him but also knew he enjoyed peace and quiet. Not knowing what the future held, Zetsume smiled at the unknown for once instead of being afraid.

WC:705
Total:5809

Trained through Sparing:

*Exit thread*

These hours of training had contributed heavily to what Chiyome would be happy to mark down as a successful day. Training experiences like these would build her up physically, one of the first steps to developing strength and ability as a combatant of the ninja world. Zetsume was a warrior who placed the value of his homeland, Kumogakure, above moral standards and that was efficient. Whether or not Chiyome was equally as patriotic mattered not, only that she would see whatever task at hand through without a hitch. There was nothing aside from the preservation of self that would stop the new kunoichi from annihilating anything between her and her objective. If the success of Kumogakure no Sato contributed to the success of Chiyome Hinode, it would be done.

He seemed to think perhaps his deeds on the village's behalf might have been questionable, and so Chiyome would leave him with one last piece of dialogue before they drew to an end the day's activities. “On behalf of the end goal, there can never be an action of questionable judgement. A mission or directive of any sort which benefits the village as a whole must be completed to the book and with stalwart efficiency. I doubt you have ever done anything that would surprise me. As a woman of business expertise, I know a bit about following protocol and placing emphasis on operating smoothly. We are meant to strive for the top by any means necessary, leading whatever institution we abide by to success.”

She finished her preaching of wisdom with a firm bow and kept her face serious. He spoke of seeking her out in the near future for the sake of completing a mission. This was pleasing, as she would need such endeavors on her “kunoichi resume” in order to be promoted by those in charge. With each rank, a ninja became more formidable by name and ability, so it was imperative that Chiyome put her full effort into the process of achieving such ranks.

After packing up her things and giving a proper farewell to Zetsume, Chiyome made her way back through the village to her lovely little abode. Here, she would spend the remainder of the day washing up, preparing a quick, nutrient rich dish of beef lo mein, with extra baby corn. Her sleep on that night would be quite restful, and her dreams full of achievement and ambition.

And it was within her dreams that a quotation would surface to the forefront of her mind. A mantra of sorts, and a guiding light with which she could base her worldview upon.

"I am not opposed to heroism. On the contrary. I honor it. But the greatest courage is acceptance of what must be. Resignation in the face of a destiny that cannot be fought or deflected or defied."

[Exit Thread]

WC: 476
TWC: 5089

Strength: E -> D (750)
Speed: E -> D (750)
Endurance: E -> D (750)
Perception: E -> D (750)
Reaction Time E -> D-3 (1925)

5089 - 4925 = 164