Time was such a fickle thing that to think of it in any growing expanse of time was surely to bring about the existentialism of his very existence. Though, perhaps that was just the way that he was, to overthink over every possible situation and to meet it with the same nonchalant and even careless demeanor that came with the confidence of his intellect. How many times did he have to have it drilled into him to take proper escorts with him and not a band of genin? How many old voices would scold and scoff at how he decided to carry himself in the most tense and serious of situations?

The sound rang out heavily as it burst into life loudly at the front of their formation where Karumo lead. The smoke and sand blew up all around him and covered him in an instant. Like he had stepped on a bomb of some sorts that he wasn't paying enough attention to notice. Always like he'd learned and tried to instill into others, it only took the slightest hesitation or slip up to lead to total disaster and in the beginning expanse of the desert as the countries began to shift away, he'd lowered his guard for the slightest moment.

All the words that would weigh heavily against his mind in the fleeting moments as it all shrunk away from his person and the dust stopped growing. It was quick and well-planned as might even the strongest of ninja would execute and though he couldn't feel the pain strike him as his own blood spilled out from his body and his leg, he could certainly feel the weight of the mistake that he had made all the same. His purple gaze would be strewn across quickly as the scene enveloped and he began to fall to the ground. But as his eyes searched his ears rang with the sound of the explosion around him all the while his mind was filled with the words of those close to him reiterating every lecture he chose to ignore. The disproportionate and twisting viewpoint at which he held still figured out the small details as he looked around to his genin to act and find their expression. They needed to do something and he needed to act along with them, to lead his squad into the thick of their oncoming battle.

His body would rotate and his right arm reaching to the ground to grab hold and bounce away, aiming to recover his fall but his gaze found his arm covered in blood and the clothing tattered. As his hand hit the ground it folded instantly under the weight of his body and he gained another moment to think, instantly as his gaze was carrying around, his eyes would quickly meet the eyes of others but his expression would remain calm as he tried to silently instill the fear to act.

The ringing of the explosion would just be fading, maybe a simple paper bomb hidden under the sand? His limbs had seemingly stayed attached so probably a degree weaker but he needed to plan instantly and quickly as he saw the shadows moving around in the distance near him.

His left hand would reach back to his pouch to grab a few shuriken while he could still move his arm about. The lack of information began to overwhelm his senses, not knowing what was there and how damaged he truly was began to weigh against his mind. A final gaze, he needed to get them to leave, their retreat would save their lives and he could probably make out enough of a stand to live up to the name of Tsuchikage. Though, on the off chance he didn't, maybe he should convince one of his students to exaggerate their circumstances a bit.

As his hand would pull out the shuriken, unbeknownest to Karumo, the metal square that held a few of his cigars would fall and stick into the sand behind him, leaving him there to plan and make a final stand for the sake of his own squad.


[694 words]

As her gaze swept along behind their formation it would be the sound that would reach her ears first mere milliseconds before the gust of sand and winds created from the explosion from the front ranks. Her form would twist back drawing her sigh forwards. As she turned her right hand would brush along her abdomen removing Amai from the front of her obi before giving it a sharp snap like motion to open the tessen fully, allowing it to protect from below her nose to her headband positioned at the centre of her chest keeping her arm up a she squinted, her gaze searching frantically for the Tsuchikage amongst the cloud of sand, feeling the blast of sand skim the first few layers of exposed skin away, forcing little bubbles of blood to raise up soaking into the sleeves of her light grey Iromuji Kimono, and dripping down like small tears from her forehead and cheekbones, matting her pale fringe.

To her horror, as the sand somewhat settled enough to be able to see the Tsuchikage. Her heart would heave against her ribs, threatening to break through before seeming to stop all together as her instincts kicked in forcing her forwards. As the trickles of blood flowed down her face from on ominous crown, her chakra would ignite filling her form like adrenaline as her free hand shifted to Tatsu removing the tessen from the back of her obi, streaming her chakra into both as she positioned herself beside the Tsuchikages grounded form, dipping into an almost animalistic crouch, using her own form as a shield in hopes to give the Tsuchikage enough time to collect himself, the extent of his injuries now becoming clearer. Her gaze would flicker in search of the others and in search of the enemy, thinking that the others would shift to do their duty only to find the sight stomach lurching; it would seem that Anri had taken damage as he lay face down on the ground yet in search of Ryuko; Only then and with a fair degree of difficulty would she perceive the shadowy forms closing in, and the sounds of a struggle, could it be that Ryuko were amidst such?

She would ready herself for the fight, stealing one last glance at Anri, her mind had been made already, though cruel to some she knew her duty and perhaps, him remaining down might be the safest thing for him, for what could she do to help him? Without the much-needed knowledge of Iryōjutsu she would be of little help to him, but the Tsuchikage, she could at the very least put up a fight to protect him and if needed be, her life.

As though breathing life into her weapons as she surged her chakra further an olive-green crackle of electricity would coat them, her head would tilt slightly as her lips parted to speak “Tsuchi…” Yet as her lips parted her senses would pick up on the movement coming in from her right, interrupting her words as the attack came in fast.  As she shifted her footing slightly drawing up Amai with her right hand, her aim on point to meet the incoming attack as she connected with the attackers hands as they gripped a katana, the sound of the bones crunching under the force of her jutsu would be eclipsed by the sound of the attackers screams  as the katana dropped to the ground such attack rendering the enemy’s hands useless, in hopes of preventing them from using jutsu, yet so very short lived were the victory as her reflexes could not defend nor predict the next attack as it came in from her left, the strike connecting harshly against her lower back quickly crumpling her to her knees as the blow winded her causing her to take a choked breath. Though now within her sights her left hand would move, thrusting Tatsu in the path of the next attack this time that had been aimed for the Tsuchikage. Her own jutsu connecting with that of the enemies would causing another ear rattling bang, though she had left herself open as her body had twisted to protect the Tsuchikage. This a mistake she would feel yet not regret as the previous attacker’s boot connected with her stomach forcing her body to arch forwards over the attacker’s leg, choking as a metallic taste flowed into her mouth. They clearly meant business. Her body would shudder, yet her hands would shift to rest against the attacker’s leg as they attempted then to pull back, her hands still gripping her weapons, yet it was the simple touch that she would use; pressing the backs of her fingers and the pads of her palms again the attackers leg. The attacker would crumble forwards letting out a choking sound quite similar to the sound she herself had made, as their useless hands dangled, covering their stomach with their forearms. She hoped, that whilst she gained her breath, that she had given the Tsuchikage a change to either regain himself enough to fight or at least move himself to safety.

---

Word count: 863.

Jutsu used. [Chakra = 200/250]:

The distilled ringing played in his ears for a few moments longer than he would have wanted it to. He watched the figures flourish around them and knew that he could take at least a few of them and as his student approached and the chaos began to envelop their position, his eyes would shift and give a single order, "Protect them." a scratchy and worn throat would etch out. The voice was masked not by fear to be exact but by the anxiety of uncertainty. Knowing that the rest of their movements had to be exact, perfect, or real harm could come to each of them.

Hopefully Taeru would get the message to distract and save the others while Karumo gathered himself, his arm wavered as his body weaved of its own accord and began to search out the surroundings again. Three shuriken sat in his hand, slipping slightly from the blood that greased between his fingers, more blood at the sand as he blinked to look down for a moment. No time to think about it, the nearby breeze blew sand around towards his face and covered in front of him. His eyes squinted as he targeted two ninja moving nimbly towards Ryuko.

His arm flickered outward and released all three of the weapons at the tips of his fingers. His arm shook a bit as he threw them forward, his eyes seeing the forced hesitation by the lack of strength he had in his limb; as well as the blood that splattered and fanned out from his hand. The red stream across the back of his palm, it was all unfolding in seemingly slow motion before him.

The shuriken managed to fly somewhat straight and spun as well as they could, though, of the three only one found their target hitting one of the grey clad ninja in the arm while the other two just cut off their path and turned their attention towards Karumo. With a hesitant eye and heavy breath, Karumo would stare down in the direction of the two and hopefully buying enough time for his squad to act and escape, to set a trap or diversion and move away from him. Karumo's throwing arm would shrink down to his side on its own as his right hand would reach to the holsters on his leg, only finding one barely hanging on to him by the tape wrapping.

With some struggle, Karumo would pull the kunai out and grip it tightly in his hand while hearing the shifting chaos and the explosion of a fire jutsu off in the distance. Knowing he couldn't turn his head to look at what had happened, he began to press upwards to his feet while the nearby descent of five... no, six sets of feet began to close in on him.


[475 words, 1169 words total]

As she released the attackers leg the attacker would crumple as another wave hit them giving her but a moment to push to her feet, remaining for the time being, arched forwards as she gathered her breath only to step into position to face the enemy that had not only wounded her but had also attempted to attack the Tsuchikage. ‘Protect them? …’ like a bad taste the sound of the Tsuchikages cracked voice would send a course of anger through her veins ‘we were supposed to protect him...’  Twisting she would drag her arms around to flourish her tesssen, fanning them out to their full extent, shifting to slash diagonally upwards with one, the force spinning her form like a fluid dance her other tessen would twist in her hand before slashing downwards at the enemy, drawing their attention back to her as her voice rang out strong, coated heavily in venom and her harsh accent now undeniable, “You think I would fall with such ease and let you pass?” both her actions and the nature of her voice causing the enemy before her to defend themselves, she would be damned if she would let more pass her by to attack the Tsuchikage when she were still able to move. With her body turned side face she would stomp down before lowering her torso down to draw up with force enough to flick her wrists sending both tessen up and, using them as a distraction for a moment before popping up before the enemy catching their sight as her now free hands weaved the signs Uma, tatsu, tori in a quick succession before ducking back away from the enemy to catch her tessen again.

Taking the only a second, she believed she would get her hand would raise to her ribs still clutching her tessen as she inhaled, filling out the capacity of her lungs as much as she could, with a wheezy breath. Broken ribs… without a doubt. Her piercing gaze would remain tracked on the enemy before her watching for their movements or a signal that her jutsu had in-fact taken hold. Only when the enemy’s eyes widened and their grip on their sword become tighter with the sound of their war cry did it become apparent, he would fight instead of taking flight weather the genjutsu had taken a hold or not. Stealing herself she would change her stance, taking on what most would consider a formal stance, slowly beginning to tassel the tessen of her right hand at one side as her body faced where the Tsuchikage stood, though her senses remained on the area around them. now more cautious the enemy charged, like a dance both Taeru and the enemy would chip away at one another, but something was off, at first glance Tearu would seem to be keeping up, but upon closer inspection it would become obvious, she was not quick enough, her reaction time ever so slightly off and her stamina and chakra would fade before the mass of enemy as more and more seemed to approach. As another enemy approached to join her scuffle her voice would cut through the noise, “Tsuchikage sama…” only the clash of weapons and the sprays of blood and sounds of tearing flesh would interrupt her trail of speech. She would not fall back. Dropping Amai to the ground her hand would remove Ripa tsume from her obi, “please… leave us…”

Her form would dip down almost to one knee as her left leg grazed back along the sand as she drew her upper body down to avoid an attack from both the enemy before her and behind her, though they were fast enough to evade one another’s attacks. Leaning to one side though her ribs protested she force herself onwards, springing upwards to dig ripa tsume deep into the abdomen of her original enemy, her left hand already twisted behind her form to at least attempt to protect her back, the split seconds of the two evading one another would become in part a saving grace for Taeru, giving her the moment that she would be able to strike. Yet no break could be taken as she drove with all her strength her weapon along the stomach, tearing the flesh with the oddity of the shape of her blade before switching her attention back to the other in order to attempt to defend herself. To look at her now, the mess of her blood smeared kimono to her own torn flesh, how much longer could she hold up? Her form would stagger giving the enemy an opening she could have done without…

---

Jutsu used (Chakra:185/250:

(Word count: 779)
(Total word count: 1642.)

Karumo remained dazed and quickly was being surrounded by enemy ninja that on any other day or standing he would think too weak to take seriously. But the fact of the matter is that it was serious now and he was on the verge of becoming an incredible failure to both himself and his team. Things had slowed down now though, or seemingly so in his head as he began to track down the footsteps and standing of those around him. To Taeru, who begged him to go and leave them he would merely smile and speak calmly before she was back to her own fighting, "Save the other two if you can." His words would ring quietly amongst the midst of a quickly growing battle.

Though, now that he had the moment to breath and his enemy hesitated in striking against him, he could feel his mind wandering in circles, spinning about the situations that weaved themselves together like a spider's web in front of him. Every crossing of threads created a new vertex that led to a critical decision in his own actions, his squads, and his enemies. Some of those he could control and block off, others he could influence and partially predict knowing where he stood and how his team normally behaved and yet, there were others that were an absolute mystery. The very key focus of it all was why? And for what purpose?

Obviously, he was the Tsuchikage but outside of Kumogakure there were no real threats to himself or the village that he wouldn't have been prepared for. Was this actually just a poor man's villain who got lucky as Karumo dropped his guard in a friendly travel? Karumo wanted to spit out and wash his mouth as the flavor of that thought felt so rotten and withdrawn in his mind that he rejected the sentiment outright. He reached his right arm around, shakey and hesitant from his wounds and hardly responsive, going to pull at the interior of his jacket as the group around him would tighten their hands around their weapons and their gaze intensifying in nervousness.

A weak hand would fumble around for a second as he didn't have the container on him, the normal spot where his own cigar holster would be was now empty. A turned down head to see where it was and nothing at all. His purple eyes shifted and began to scan outwards around to see if the black square with his clan's insignia across the front of it would be anywhere to be found or not. Nothing at all.

Karumo's footsteps would beleaguer him with each inch gained, trying to almost ignore the ones around him, the majority of the group shifted around and away, almost trying to keep their distance from him. Except for one of them, the blonde haired man who seemed so high on his own adrenaline that he was sweating on his own and about to burst stayed in Karumo's path. He shifted his feet and readied his sword before yelling out boldly to gather himself before yelling out, "It's time for you to die!" his feet moved quickly and he charged Karumo to slash down at him.

Karumo's gaze would flicker for just a moment before his arm would shift in a surge of chakra, the scene stood still as the blow of chakra leaving Karumo's fist would leave a jet of air and a small bursted shockwave around. The sound of cracking bones from the man's ribcage would leave him coughing immediately, blood pouring up and his sword stuck high above Karumo's head. He could feel it immediately, the killing intent that poured as rage from Karumo's purple eyes as he slowly rolled off of the Tsuchikage's fist and to the ground next to him. Karumo's body froze though, the chakra most likely burning up his system for that one hit. Feet shifted in sand as he dropped to a single knee, all of them behind him and nearly nothing he could do about it.


[692 words, 1861 words]

325/350 chakra:

As her form staggered leaving an opening for the many enemy surrounding them, it would take her a few milliseconds to realised what had happened as blunt force pain struck first from her right then her left as her body rose with the impact contorting her leith form only to be eclipsed by a sharp pain from just above the crease of her groin on her left side, diagonally upwards, yet the sound of the kimono tearing seemed deafeningly loud. Unsure of when she had actually landed, harshly on her back against the ground.

Careless, she had been too careless. Her chest would shudder as she inhaled. She couldn’t be done, not yet…

Along her newest wound a sickening crackle of green aura would seem to leak from her at the sound of a threat uttered not for her but for the Tsuchikage. Anger ignited to life inside of her, did she not say that she wouldn’t fall with such ease? As her chakra flared up it would seem to flow from her more like a toxic overflow than a burning fire like most drawing forth an ominous sensation, this were not the colour of healing, not by a long shot, this were that of pestilence, infectious and angery. Those few that had the pleasure of seeing chakra would even say the sight of it were that of another world as the chakra itself took form, sitting upright like a secondary torso, like that of a woman, gaunt yet once lavish in beauty, its hair would flow like a river in the chakra of its very being, from its shoulders a mantel of bone arching out before curling upwards a sheet of thick flesh spread between the two bearing the mark and holy sign of Jashin. Its eyes ears and mouth mangled and sewn shut, it would lean forwards spreading the ominous sensation further with each movement. As it lent Taeru’s body would seem to follow almost like that of a ragdoll, her body seeming to contort to its will as it rose drawing Taeru to a standing position with seeming ease. It would lean closer to her frame enough to draw up from her arms able to grasp around Taeru’s wrist like the shackles it wore, its own collar connecting it to Taeru. Taeru’s body now as it had only few times before, easily resembling a puppet to her own chakra as it rose from her.

Her head would drop a little to one side as her usually stern features creaked, as her lips split into a wide, almost sadistic grin before curling her form forwards. A guttural laughter spilling from her lips would force her shoulders to heave. The enemy about her had already taken a step back, a reverse quite sudden as they had been closing in the as she would have done to finish the job, yet this moment of unease would rouse them as they readied to attack once again. Taeru would rise from her hunched position using Tatsu to fan herself as her laughter subsided a touch. “come.” The finality and the weight of her accent in comparison to her laughter would seem harsh and very dividing as she gave this command. As the three about her, her heterochromia gaze would graze along them. As the male from the left sprang into action first her body would dip, seemingly at the command of the creature like chakra, her movements raw and animalistic, as the male thrust their arm forwards gripping tightly to a kuni in form of an attack only for her torso to slat to the side narrowly avoiding the attack taking a mere scratch to her bicep in the process. Her hand would raise locking her digits around the male’s arm just above his elbow dragging him with her motion as she twisted. Just in time to use him as a meat shield as the female with the sword lunged to strike. Taeru would slip to one knee under the force of the females attack mixed with the male’s dead weight, taking advantage of the unfortunate position she would drop further to the ground before kicking out, giving a harsh contact as her foot connected sickeningly to the female’s knee knocking the females leg back and forcing her off balance. Taeru would roll out from under the male and away as the third enemies foot struck against the ground the aim to stomp on her through their ally. As she rolled creating distance she would roll over Amai allowing her hand holding Tatsu to touch it before releasing the tessen so one lay atop the other. She would raise to a crouch, her free hand now pressed against both of the tessen, keeping her balance as her other hand raised to shield her face as she gripped Ripa tsume.

She would take the few seconds to analyse the two, though their team work had been flawless, as she had witnessed they gave little care for one another when wounded. Barbaric. So, she too would have to act with just as much ruthlessness. Ripa tsume would become slack, swinging by the loop from her thumb as her other hand rose from her tessen leaving a lingering trace of string like chakra from them as her hands weaved the signs I, Ushi, Tori as the third attacker moved forwards with intent to attack, the female rousing behind him. Yet her jutsu would take effect as they did so. The mirage of her flesh peeling from her form like a rancid pestilence, the muscle following as her form seemed to decompose before their very eyes. She would slip past the unarmed male, unseen for the moment as she approached the female only to find that she had already seen through her genjutsu. She couldn’t afford to allow the female to aid the male from the genjutsu, not yet. Taeru’s free hand would raise and like a whip, both Tatsu and Amai would cut through the air connected and spinning quite like a shuriken aimed for the female’s head forcing her to duck, yet she would still swip out with her sword. Taeru would draw her hips back to avoid the attack just the female rose Taeru’s hand would flex before snapping back, Amai and Tatsu would split and spin of there on accord drawing back towards Taeru as she herself ducked just incase as the two tessen wedged themselves deep into the female, one jammed in her shoulder join preventing movement and forcing her to shift to one handed sword play as the other stuck into her traps muscle. Taking advantage of the female’s shock, Taeru would lunge digging Ripa tsume into the soft of her stomach before dragging upwards to open the female up. The females form would crumple forwards Taeru would step to the side away from her only to feel a heavy boot to her side, quite like before. A sickening crunch would ring in her ears as she skidded across the ground, only now thankful that her torn kimono held so many layers, protecting her side not from impact not by a long shot but the graze of flesh against the ground. Her hand would immediately over to grip her hip causing an involuntary whimper to leave her lips, the movement tugging the tessen loose from the cadaver, her gaze would flicker to the male, knowing now that he had freed himself from the genjutsu.

---

Word count: 1257.
Total word count: 2899.

---

Chakra 170/250:

His single punch seemed to strike a cord through the group that surrounded around him. They all hesitated further and began to take their measure as their ally slumped off of Karumo's fist and fall to the ground before him. His eyes would flicker around the scene before him, blood would begin trickling from the edge of his lips though he couldn't feel his essence leaving him that quickly. He only felt the fatigue of it all, rapid and encompassing like a rest he needed desperately and more so than ever before. It was one of confusion and struggle but he carried himself up mentally and demanded more of his body every step of the way. Even standing there was taking the full force of his will power, hesitant to move any further until absolutely necessary, Karumo was dead silent, projecting what was left of his senses into the area around him.

He almost searched for Taeru and the others in the fighting around him, almost begging to for her to wisen up and escape. It was almost like regret encapsulated him in that final action. Not regret for having guards or anything else like that around him, but regret that he couldn't instill that pragmatism into Taeru, to follow orders and make responsible decision. That he couldn't instill the courage into Anri to face the towers before him openly and proudly. And regret for Ryuko to not know the truth about herself and what was moving around her. His mind was wavering, as he shifted more and more from mapping out his current battle and predicament into some situation of taking the value of his life and counting up his deeds against his sins. He almost wanted to chuckle as he pretended that he might come out on the positive end of things but with so much left undone and so much chaos and so many problems he'd leave in his wake, he could only hope that he could rectify any one of them.

Still, he wasn't anywhere near dead just yet, only passing out and feeling that fatigue come quickly. Of course he'd pushed himself to this territory before but never like this and never this quickly. Maybe it was because of the situation and how little he could do to protect the others around him that he felt that awful and encompassing abyss of failure rotate around himself and occupy him completely that he was starting to falter.

It would come without warning or without reason, but it would give out completely. His leg would fall to a knee before him, almost hovering over the lifeless body underneath him as his eyes widened and his breath would shorten. Like a snap of someone's finger, he would hear footsteps and blades drawn around him, short shouts and panicked yells surround him.

It'd follow with Karumo being forced to the ground, his body impaled by the various weapons they'd brought to the sand below. Karumo wouldn't feel the pain though, instead he'd hear the metal tear through his own flesh and his vision would be left in half view almost cut in half vertically by the sand his face was pressed into. A sort of final vision as he would fight to keep his consciousness. Taeru fighting endlessly in front of him and the field of battle closing in around him, every few seconds like a jump of reality as he would fight to keep himself away from passing out unconscious. Maybe it was a futile fight to stay conscious, but in the same way, his student was fighting similarly, against the odds to stay in it. Maybe his students did learn something from him after all.


[630 words, 2491 words total]

Her piercing gaze would not leave the male before her as she watched his face twist into a grin, yet he would come to a halt as he waited for her. It would seem he intended to fight her, for a lack of a better term, ‘man to man’ as it were. She could see in his eyes, he enjoyed this, fighting, the scent of blood, the sound of bones breaking but more so the sound of the whimper that had left her vocal cords involuntary. Yet it pleased him more that it had been him that had caused the sound to evacuate her lips. She had seen these kinds of eyes before. Pursing her lips to a thin line as she ground her teeth, her form would shift to stand, though wobbly she would stand. Inhaling she would force her features to harden once more, she would not feed his pleasure in that way, she would not allow him to feed in such a way if she could at all help it.  

Though her gaze remained with the enemy before her, she would listen and listen closely. Each and every sound was important information to her ears, building a picture in her mind’s eye.  Drawing up her curved blade he would ready herself before raising her apparent free hand to beckon him forwards.  A laughter would burst forth from the male, the laughter sitting in his voice as he spoke, “You aint’ going to enjoy this.” Pressing his fit into the palm of his other hand to crack hi knuckles a hi head tilted from one side to the other. “I know.” though her words were more deeply sincere than most would believe, but the tone of her voice would hold a cold note sitting flatly with the harsh aspect of her accent.  

The male would lunge forwards, his chakra surging like static about his fist and forearm yet the moment he came within twenty meters of her she would strike back; her free hand would slash downwards before twisting, her tessen, being dragged through the air would spin slashing high and low from each side as she herself aimed to slash past his abdomen, cutting off his routs for escape. No matter the way he chose to move he would have to take a hit. The male would lurch out of the way of the attack on his abdomen only to be caught by her tessen, one slashing along his shoulder and the other, his knee. Yet as he himself began to crumple as his knee gave out his torso would twist away from her blade to hand before connecting his elbow to her ribs with a harsh force. Her body would crash to the ground as he fell to his knees. She would immediately roll away from him as he reached out to grasp for her. As she rolled her tessen would follow, this time slicing just under his armpit forcing his arm to collapse much to his surprise.  

She would remain on her side, facing him to further her need to hold back the scream that well in her chest as she pressed her arm against her ribs in an attempt to quell the pain as it sent spasms through-out her form causing her hip and chest to ache further.  Her miss matched gaze locked with his, watching his smile falter at her refusal to feed his desire twisted to anger as it spread into his features, mingled with his own pain. Like a mirror they would slowly raise to face one another. As the attack came she would seem too slow to stop him, yet she knew he were quicker, and for now taking a hit so that she could retaliate seemed to be the only way to win.  As his foot connected to her chest, the wind would leave her in a harsh choke, the attack sending her a few meters back halt in a crouch as she struggled to catch a breath. The male however, would lay on the ground twitching. She would shift to her hands and knees to crawl to his side.  Her gaze would wonder over the deep gash in his thigh before shifting to his face as he clutched his hands over the wound. “You will not enjoy this, Unlucky for you, it looks like I have severed your femoral artery.” One of his bloody hands would strike for her throat but she would lean back watching his arm slump to the ground as blood swamped around him.  

Her head would snap up and away from the motionless body of the male, her gaze seeking out the Tsuchikage and her team mates.  “NO!” her heavily accented voice, a harsh shriek as she watched the Tsuchikage being forced to the ground and the weapons raised. Like a scrambling child she would clamber over the corpse before her pressing into a sprint, adrenaline coursing through her veins, her pains forgotten yet as the weapons penetrated the Tsuchikage, she was too late and a new pain flooded her chest and mind.  

---

Word count: 851.
Total word count: 3750.

It was an odd final image? Or what felt like a final one. One that carried sadness and regret in his mind. Before the final trouncing of his person to the ground, the cruelty of his student turned to desperation as she shouted something inaudible over the sounds of his body slicing and cleaving underneath the weapons. She ran in full sprint towards him but was seemingly blocked off by a line of three or four much more experienced looking ninja in a cloth he didn't recognize. They certainly wore their part and looked like true ninja, maybe they were in disguise under Suna's banner or rogue ninja serving some new element. He couldn't make it out as his consciousness began to falter and for instances in between his passing, he could feel it.

Not the pain of the weapons that held him locked in place and prevented his movements. He couldn't feel the warmth of the sand against his face or his body or even the sand that slid through his clothing and grated against his cuts and the skin. He couldn't feel the blood that ran against his skin either or the steel itself that sat buried in his body. Not being able to see it or feel it left him in a weird limbo as he could only imagine how ragged a state he might look in. His face would be rather dull, his skin turning pale as life would begin to leave it and his purple eyes would be fading in color as the lines that crossed his pupils would seep into the background.

Taeru probably wouldn't see any of that, nor the blood that dripped from his lips or the blank stare his face gave. She probably wouldn't see his eyes flickering closed and fighting to stay open either until she got close enough if she could even break through their line. It seemed odd that this is where it ended for him. The bodies shuffled around and footsteps seemed to fade as he lost his sense of hearing to an odd sense of tinnitus that grew from the back of his mind.

No, none of that mattered though. Only one sense remained as he slipped past the void and that was his feeling. He could feel it crawling along his body and taking over him. It was an odd sense he hadn't felt since he was a kid, like when his leg fell asleep for having too much pressure on it too long. A growing numbness across the entirety of his body and taking over everything there was to him. It was the feeling of death. The Fantomusodo began to crawl over his image before passing into a sort of omniscient look at his life. Carrying himself around and beginning to step through time. It was weird that something like this would take light in his consciousness. He knew what it was though, that sort of image of his life flashed before him but more active. The rational part of him knew that this was merely his brain coping with the trauma he was under and substituting reality and his lose of reality with some new world. But this world was like a lucid dream he could step in and be apart of, driving him forward as his eyes would seemingly close completely.

---

From the outside, the fighting seemed to stop and the plethora of men that came to take on the Tsuchikage himself would stop and turn their attention towards their last opponent, the lone student that had shrieked in defiance and watched the scene unfold. Near Karumo, a medic leaned down and pressed against his forehead as his eyes closed, felt his pulse and spoke near what appeared to be the leader of their operation, "He's unconscious..."

"Good, get those weapons out and clean him up a bit, we need him alive and he can't die while we travel either." The proud man spoke with clarity and crossed his arms as the remaining forces would begin to close in on Taeru and surround her, weapons drawn, and defiant smiles and snickers on their tongues.


[702 words, 3193 words total]

She would not be held back from him, not whilst she was still able to move. With the momentum of her sprint towards the Tsuchikage she would shift her form once close enough to do so; her body would drop to the ground allowing her to slide along the sand, the bits flicking up like a small cloud, obscuring her for just a moment, yet her eyes would remain focus as rage and hatred flowed from her in toxic waves. Slipping through the legs of one of the men that had readied to face her standing, she would embed Ripa tsume deep into his groin and with her movement past him, she would tear him open root and stem. Yet the sounds of his screams would seem to fall on deaf ears, blood soaking through his clothing quickly to flood the fabric as the male crumpled to the ground. Yet the shock evident on the features of the two closest yet no matter the shock only one of her tessen would cause any damage as she dragged them with her. partially dodged by one as the other simply deflected the tessen severing the chakra cord in the process.  

Logically she knew that she wouldn't be able to salvage this situation yet Her sights were set on the male wearing the smug look. The hate that coursed through her veins now what surged her forwards as blades clipped past her hips before digging into the sand.  She would push onwards, her sprint continuing as she sprinted past those that closed in, in an attempt to stop her. with their eyes upon her she would raise her hand raising to strike her thumb against her middle finger essentially clicking, yet for her it would occupy those that watched even if it were for just a moment to allow her closer to her target, the men about her now fighting what could easily have been thin air.  Her mind in overdrive as her gaze centred on the male picking out the male’s words. The needed the Tsuchikage alive and would be travelling with him. The planned to take him. Her stomach dropped further, what were they going to do with him?  As she sliced through the air, the man in charge would lean back, he was quick, too quick. Grasping her elbow to further her swipe away and turning her form with a force that her form could not yet counter, yet instead of falling, her back would collide with his abdomen as the males other hand curled around her, trapping her other arm tightly against her side. His head would lean to press his cheek against her temple forcing her head to one side a touch, His hand would slide from her elbow to cover over her hand holding Ripa tsume before squeezing harsh enough so that her hand would release the blade before forcefully wrapping her own arm around her waist, as though cradling her form to his. She could feel the joy radiate from the man as he turned her to face the Tsuchikage, his battered form and the medical ninja at his side. “Look at your great Tsuchikage now.” The image would remain imprinted on her mind among the list of her ever mounting failures, yet she would not cry, not now even as her gaze wondered the ribbon-like flesh, torn and strewed along the Tsuchikages form, but it was his face her gaze settled upon. If it were not for being held so close by the male, in her time of sorrow she may not have even heard what slipped past his lips as he spoke into her ear, “Maybe you can entertain us part of the way.” Her body would shift naturally, inching down again away from his breath, simply looking as though she just wanted to move from his baiting yet, her left leg would swing upwards, the appendage coming flush against her body and the arm that held her, catching the male off guard, giving a harsh enough boot in his face. releasing her as he grasped at his bloodied nose her form would crumple to her knees, sucking in air and she attempted to immediately scramble to her feet once again only for the males boot to connect with her upwards thrust, the sharp pain of the action sending shooting pains down her arms allowing pins and needles to set in crawling from her fingertips right the way to her elbows, the kick sending her closer to the medic and the Tsuchikage.  

Reaching out her arm would spasm yet she would persist an attempt to reach for the Tsuchikage, her fingertips almost brushing his features as she would have those at the orphanage yet the medics movements were quicker even of that compared to the leader. A simple touch and a pain like no out would have a splutter, the pain originating from the touch before burning like an inferno in her stomach causing her to retract into a ball for a moment only for the sensation to twist like ice throughout her veins. As he form slumped to the ground her gaze transfixed upon the Tsuchikage, she knew she had failed, failed in the worst way. The ice-like sensation would crawl up along her neck as it spread further, paralysing her. her mind struggling through the fog as the light in her waking orbs faded a vial slumber took over her form and occasionally her mind as she faded in and out.  

---

The medic would raise using his foot to turn her over to look at her, stood conversing with the male in charge. “Freaky really, I’ve never seen their eyes remain open like that, but...” the medic would lean down to tug her by her ankle to straighten her form out some. “hn, pretty with potential and young.” he would turn to look up at the male in charge. “She could fetch a decent price to the right buyer...” His attention would strike towards the Tsuchikage as the men set to work to move him. “Your all savages, we need him alive.” storming off. The male in charge would crouch down before taking a hold of her jawline, “I know just the man.” as a back thought spoken out loud as he looked over her features. With a small sigh and a smile upon his lips, he would shift to lug her paralyzed form over his shoulder as he stood. “We're moving out.” a tune would flow to his lips in the form of a whistle as the others prepared to move. though paralysed every now and again she would catch a glimpse as her sight returned or a sound as the noise refiltered, fading in and out.

---

---

Word count: 1133.
Total word count: 4883.

Jutsu:

---

---

---

Stepping into the abyss was a feeling unlike any other he'd had before. Untrue though, as he'd known it once before, a distant feeling from his childhood and literally decades ago he felt it. But what's more he felt the sadness accompanied with it. A loss of family back then and a struggle to lose the new family he'd created now. His friends in the village and those he'd served as head of The Oracles and as Tsuchikage of the village but further beyond that even. He was losing those dear to him in this squad and he was losing closer friends than that still.

The blankness of it all was crisp and clear within, like all of reality before him simulated as he stepped into the mirror of the abyss. Once within it went blank for a brief moment and he snapped to like a blink of his eyes to himself sitting in a chair. He was omniscient to it all but still fully in control. Was this death? Had he fully immersed himself in it? It was hard for him to believe in some silly afterlife, since there was no world he came from initially, was there?

No, he'd have known about it. His memories and feelings in life were crystal clear to him still. If there was something before, he'd have known about it, been able to piece it together as more than moments of deja vu? But maybe he was wrong. His margin for being wrong had already dragged him to the place he was now. What more would it cost his pride to be wrong a second time?

That didn't matter though, he had one real choice before him. To escape this place, learn what he could and leave it behind him. It was that or complacency of this emptiness. He couldn't accept that. Maybe if he hurried he would be able to save what was left of his squad, maybe he'd be in time. Just in time. That was all he needed to keep pushing on.


[352 words, 3545 words total]
[Exit Thread]