The air was cool as it usually was in Kirigakure. The pale silver light of the moon loomed over head illuminating the ground below as the clouds danced between its rays. At night the mist that surrounded the village always seemed so much thicker. As Tashima lay resting on the tiles of the roof he could see the village surrounded in the watery fog. His arms folded behind his head acting as a make shift pillow as he peered with his cold heartless eyes up at the moon above.  The breeze sent ripples through the loose fabric of his attire and danced in between his long light blue hair.  The village seemed so calm at night. Ironic really, night was when shinobi were at their best. They were shadows after all, skilled in the art of deception, to strike and never be seen. So why, was it that the village seemed so still at night?
 
Tashima let a heavy sigh of boredom as he fidgeted trying to get comfortable. Ever since the accident he hadn't been able to sleep, not that he did much sleeping to begin with, but it was growing ever apparent during late nights like these. Tashima couldn't stand it, if he was going to be awake he might as well be doing something, even it is was just going for a stroll. He leaped to his feet with great speed almost flipping to them. "This silence is beginning to annoy me." he spoke to himself before leaping off the roof onto a near by tree and then down into the deep mist below. 

He landed with practically no sound at all, the only visible cue to his presence was the small hole in the mist from where he fell. The air inside was cold and  damp. He could taste the water within the fog; bitter almost sour. His eyes scanned around him, visibility was shot, he could only see a few feet in front of him.  Still growing up in this village you got used to things like this. Fighting in the mist became a signature skill of all Kirigakure ninja, so traveling through it was almost second nature.  

Tashima took a comfortable stride through the thin white walls of moisture. It seemed like he had been out their for hours before he finally stopped at his destination, a large open field just outside of the village. The grass had grown tall, some of them blades stretching as if to touch his knees but falling just short. In the distance a large lake pouring into a small stream leading to the sea.  Scattered Trees and rocks littered the clearing stretching like shadowy mirages within the ever present mist of Kirigakure.  "A Shinobi is always aware of his surroundings..." he announced turning towards the only other presence in the clearing.  His icy blue eyes piercing through the mist awaiting for the other person to make their presence known.

Training Wind Element C-B [493/2000]

Solstice had been especially keen within the last few nights, and even more so when it came to the last few hours, her eyes were tired and her brain hurt, the paper work lying on her desk as the head of the Aisu house she had one of the largest administrative jobs in all of the Kirigakure. But little was the matter, it seemed everything was falling to chaos without the Mizukage around, and it was the Aisu house which was left to desperately hold everything together. The Kaguya were not being particularly helpful either, there was a disease running rampant and their paranoia due to their prone nature had chased them into hiding. Solstice was the one who was taking the jobs from other Villages and running dispatch, she was the one who was putting her name and her reputation with other villages and even other countries on the line when it came to sending out HER jounin to do the jobs most of the village hidden in the mist should be doing. But what was important was the jobs were getting done, and finally once she put down her giant "approved" stamp, it seemed like she had cleared everything, weeks of work with hard work and determination on not only her, but the skilful work of her Jounin, the deeds were finally done.

For now...

Solstice took this as a chance for some rest and relaxation, moving away from her office in the second story study across from her room in her mother's house/ shop. She walked past her own room and trotted down the stairs to the kitchen then out the main door to enter the streets of the world she knew and to a lesser degree loved. Though the air was still and the mists were unmoving at night Solstice knew it was only so quiet because the people who were moving at this time of night were the ninja who did not want to be heard. The Anbu were the rulers of the night in the village, they watched from the shadows, the most successful of the hunter ninja. Their masks hid their lives as they were revered as the greatest killers and assassins in the world, what kiri was revered for was their hunters, able to track, find and systematically eliminate other ninja. But with the amount of missions coming in some of the stillness did come from many of the ninja who would be occupied and moving at night were off on their own missions.

Solstice had little time to train her own personal characteristics, so, when it finally got to an hour when she had no more village responsibilities she would often head out to whichever training ground that suits her the best and train until she grew tired enough to retire to her room. But it seemed tonight she was not alone. over a hundred meters away she heard, more so than spotted someone walking along the stone road, their movements were trained, but far from refined with age and experience, the shadow flickered out of the Villages main gates under the silent yet watchful eye of the needed two jounin whom guarded the gate at all times. Her mind became curious as he moved form the location of the Aisu part of town, which pulled on several of Solstice's more inquisitive reactions. She wondered if the person she was tracking was strafe, or Yuudai, either one of them would get a surprise through the mist if she were to manage to creep up on them.

Solstice pursued, literally making no noise unless she absolutely had to. She didn't need to use chakra to blend into the shadows, the mist, the night, and her black cloak was enough to almost become invisible within the bleak terrain. Clinging to the shadows, with a minute sum of chakra and impeccable control she summoned from herself a clone with the instruction to shadow whom she thought was one of the less experienced Jounin that were under her leash. The clone would only just manage to be able to be seen by the person's peripheral vision. And when the person did not turn, but spoke aloud, Sostice was poised out of sight in the shadow of a nearby tree, ready to strike like a viper before she realised that the person who was talking was neither of the people she thought he was Solstice folded her arms and began to walk out of the disguising mists. The clone evaporating into thin air as she entered from stage right.

"You are entirely right young one," He would hear from behind him after he had turned only to see a clone evaporate like a spectre having been seen by the living "Though I must admit I was surprised to see a genin not only out and training at this time of night, but out and training in the wilderness, do you have any clue how dangerous it is to be out here on your own at night with the Kage not present here..? She paused for a moment before she continued to speak. Hoping for her serious yet concerned tone to seep through the boy's mental and psychological walls to determine that he had made a foolish mistake. "Ninja are going rogue around here by the week, and hunting them down we gain few fiends. Best you remember that from now on... But, that being said..." She continued at the end of her small speech, now that they were both out here in the wilderness, and both of them were looking to do some training, it seemed only applicable that the two of them would probably find themselves doing some of their training together.

"How about the two of us go through some forms together? It can be a big day for you, being able to train with a Jounin, who happens to be the head of your house, I'm Solstice, Solstice Ayakashi, but you can call me Madam, or Lady, or whatever you think is necessary. She said with a smile, toying with the idea of honorific titles, she remembered that when she had addressed Sero, she had always spoken in the tense of "Lord Kage" out of respect for his experience, station and capabilities as a warrior. Such respect was not often seen in this day and age, and some of if Solstice thought was probably in need of coming back. Even though the thought of people calling her such titles was more or less just a funny joke, considering she hated the administrative position as the head of her house, hated it with a passion, but unable to pass it on. Her pride getting a little in the way.

Suiton training S-SS: 1131/9000

Tashima watched the clone evaporate like a spectre in the mist, quickly snapping around behind him as the woman walked out of the mist speaking to him. His eyes widened some before he made the turn, he was aware of another presence in the mist but he had no idea that was merely a clone. The real ninja's presence was completely concealed to him until she made herself known.  True, Tashima was still a genin,but he was older than most of his classmate. With age came awareness and a refining ones own skills. The fact that he noticed her at all was commendable if nothing else. Still, if she was an enemy she could've easily assassinated him without him ever knowing she was there. Is this what it meant to be a Jounin!? The difference in their skills was already apparent far before a single jutsu was weaved. More importantly, Tashima felt weak just standing in her presence. 

Tashima finished turning his cold lifeless stare meeting with her, he nodded giving her acknowledgment to the wisdom. "Ninja are weapons, if they dull then they no longer have use, they are merely trash to be discarded." he spoke calmly repeating one of the top commandments of his own personal set of 'codes'.  He looked around for a moment before replying, "If you had been an enemy, you could've easily slain me..." he paused for a moment before continuing, "And yet I could hold you no ill will for it. If I am not sharp enough to stay your blade then I have broken one of the first rules of being a ninja. " the change in his vocal patterns only affirmed his severity and determination to follow his code.  The air around him held changed with his concealed emotions, "A dangerous risk. One I was willing to take if it meant sharpening myself." 

Tashima almost let a soft grin when she offered to train him but the muscles quickly were stayed before more than a slight twitch occurred. Tashima hadn't really spent much time with his clan save the first couple months after his parents passed. To be standing before the head of his clan like this was truly a treat. Before his parents passed he was able to learn the basics of their clans advanced element kekkei genkai, the ice element. However, they passed far before teaching him much more than some signature skills. What he did know and what he had learned had been mostly self taught. A chance to train with a Jounin was something no genin should ever pass up, but a chance to train with a Jounin who was certainly more skilled in a genins kekkei genkai, only a fool wouldn't take up such an offer.  Still though, the two did not know each other, in fact, Tashima had only recognized her rank by hearing her name. To Tashima, this was a chance to sharpen his blade and prove his worth. 

This was the first time in a very long time he was given the chance to train with someone else.  After his team was ambushed and slain,  Tashima lost everything and only succeeded in gaining a large scar on his back, something he kept covered at all times to hide the evidence of his failure. Looking at Solstice now, he couldn't help but be reminded of his former Jounin leader. He held the same air she did. That air of strength and power, the knowledge of what a true shinobi was.  This alone whether he chose to show it begrudging or not, earned his respect.  As his clan head, Solstice knew all about him or at least had enough information to know of his short comings. Aisu Tashima, the cursed omen, a genin who got along with no one and tolerated few. To have him placed in your squad meant trouble. He bounced from squad to squad before the Mizukage punished him by sending him into a special class at the academy. To him it was utter humiliation. How could the mizukage not see Tashimas line of thought. The weak fall prey to the strong, so to place him those he deemed as weak not only insulted his skill, but jeopardized his life and career as a ninja.  Finally after all of the humiliation and rumors about him, he was placed in a new squad, his last squad. If he failed to cooperate with this squad he'd be stripped of his headband and unable to ever become Shinobi.  Surprisingly to even him, this team was strong in his eyes. For over a year, he stayed with his team growing stronger as a Shinobi and even making something at before was thought to be incapable of himself, friends.  

Tashima looked at her and gave her a formal bow, "I can not by my own code, refuse an offer to train with you Lady Solstice." he waited before coming back to a full straight pose, "I would be honored to learn what you have to teach." Tashima did not like to show formal respect, it always found it a waste of time and energy. Still he was no fool, and if Solstice was going to teach him anything, then it was worth his reluctant show of respect and acknowledgment of authority. 

Training Fuuton c-B [1383/2000]

Solstice listened to the tone of the boy's voice, she remembered that tone, it was the neutrality of grief and the voice of a boy who carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. He talked about himself and her as if their position, as if their very way of life was to become nothing other than sharpened tools, weapons which slew those who opposed the state, and those whose names appeared on the mission books, regardless if they were friends, family, boys, girls, men, or kids... It was a sad sight to see, she remembered his name, he was a troubled kid when he went through the academy, and he was one of the people Solstice had a lot of fun reading about and watching him progress with a small amount of frustration at times. Still walking forward out of the mists, foot after foot fell on the soft well hydrated earth as she moved into sight, folding her arms and moving her body weight over to one side as she took her vantage point to eye the boy up. He was strong for a Genin, old too, like she was once.

Solstice's long black sleeved cloak fell backwards with the hood hanging down her back, rather than being over her head, as her coat hung open save for the silver chain which pulled it together at the collar. Revealing her porcelain white skin and long reddened scars across her firm toned torso. The dull, shine-less black melded into the shadows without attracting light or reflecting it back into the eyes of those who could be looking, from the backs of the knees down, however long the coat once was became but shreds. On her back was her Fuuma Shuriken, black and attracting but the hint of moonlight which managed to penetrate the fog bank. On her waist was the ever present iron mask of the Kirigakure Serial killer. The killer which had haunted the bloody grave yard for some time, even though there was another more, classified investigation herself and several members of the Anbu were dealing with, making the area out of bounds except for daytime hours. Though the mask at her side when placed upon her face was not simply a trophy or a piece of armour. It was a message which said I have slain monsters... it was a warning to the other monsters of the world, reminding them of their mortality.

Though, regardless of the boys tone, it was what he was saying which also caught Solstice's ear, he'd mentioned a code, and the dulling of blades and the ninja's purpose and other key words which made him seem more and more entropic and careless about the subject of life. Which worried Solstice more and more, enough to the point that after he finished speaking she actually felt the need to interject. Opening her mouth her words were soft, but carrying with them a slight pinch of ironic humour, "If I was a 'stupid' enemy, I could have slain you, yes... If I were smart however, I would have 'watched' you, and learned everything you had to offer, then returned and informed your enemies of everything I had witnessed. Then, when you next fought a foe, it would be them who took your life, and I would never had to step in harms way, next to one of the most powerful villages in the world, and you would have never known I was there, someone could have already done it, y'never know." She spoke with an old brutality in her voice that was always fun to remember.

Though her mind passed into doubt about some of the other aspects of this 'code' he seemed to be a little more transfixed on. In some way or some sense ever ninja had their own ways of doing things, though they were not always right. This seemed to be one of those scenarios Solstice's face darkened a little leaning her head to one side with an abstract amount of curiosity crossing her brow, even if she did enjoy finally receiving some respect by one of the younger people in the village. "I disagree with a lot of what you've said there actually, ninja being weapons alone. I'd like to think of us more like doctors, where if something threatens the life of the whole it's our duty to find the root cause and decipher how best to deal with it. My father always told me a warrior was measured by his heart, and not by his skill with a blade. Because if you don't have something to fight for, no matter how skilled you propose yourself to be, it will always be a fool with a cause and with things to lose who will beat you."

She snickered, it seemed to be the way of the world, nothing was fool proof, because unless you are a fool you can never account for every chaotic eventuality that is bound to occur when you deal with people who fight for a cause. "So, Tashima, how do you respond? I want to know just how powerfully you believe in your own mandate, and whether or not you've actually thought about it in as much depth as you see fit, because right now you walk a lonely road... and you know what they say about the difference between one twig and a bundle, it's a lot easier to break." Solstice spoke moving into combat stance, he had initially thought the person there might be an enemy, but, how better to train than against someone much stronger than you. Solstice stared the boy down, she expected an answer, assuming a form very similar to the gentle fist boxing style, but with her fists clenched tightly. The style was known as god-fist, which was closed fisted tai chi. A banned style by the fire temple for many years, and only used against the most destructive of opponents who would threaten their entire faith.


"One hit, is all you need to land on me..." She stipulated, Solstice smirking, a task which was never impossible for a Genin, though it was virtually getting that way. The Genin would have to use a substantial sum of craft, skill and strategy to be able to lay their hands on a Jounin ranked ninja, yet alone Solstice, who was known for being deceptively fast even amongst Jounin ninja, but she coaxed once more. "Prove you're not a dull blade Tashima..."

Suiton Training: 2220

Tashima continued to examine her as she stepped out of the mist. One of the first things he noticed about her was her Fuuma Shuriken. It was like Tashima not to care much for a persons physical traits at first glance, his eyes immediately assessed any weaponary on them, any clue to what they had in their arsenal. That shuriken, especially in the hands of a Jounin, would be trouble if she wanted to use it. After looking through her arsenal he spent a moment longer to fully take in the visage before him. Pale skin, a normal trait of the Aisu, as they weren't particularly known for being gifted with average skin tone, long red scars, judging by the color they weren't too old, but were far past their initial stage of healing, and... Tashima gave a soft smirk as his eyes fixated on the reflection of the light off the silver mask. So stories were true after all, this was the woman who killed the Kirigakure Serial Killer. He knew immediately the masks purpose. It was a warning to all those who opposed her. Why bother carrying such a thing if not for that purpose.  He crossed his arms instinctually, her very presence gave an air that demanded his body to shield itself. Tashima refused to give it much recognition, but on the inside he was trembling with fear and excitement. 

Solstice then spoke to him. Tashima took in her words with a nod letting her tone sink in to him. Her voice carried her strength behind it demanding immediate respect and recognition. Something that Tashima would note, he highly respected those stronger than himself, to him they could serve endless purposes to his goals. "That may have been the case. Though you chose not to watch me, nor did you choose to mask the presence of your clone very well either.  If you were merely the friend of my enemy then watching a mere genin would serve no other purpose than assessing clan techniques alone. Which as I'm sure you're aware, ours is fairly notable in the ninja world." he replied trying to give her an idea of how is mind functioned when assessing an enemies logic and skills alone. 

Tashima furrowed his lip some as she spoke of ninja being more like doctors fighting to keep others alive. It was that kind of idealism that gets teammates and clansmen killed. "I apologize but you wisdom falls on deaf ears. We are ninja tools of violence and death. It is the will of those who wield us who decide our purpose. Whether we agree with their goals or not," he paused for a moment realizing just how apathetic he sounded, perhaps even disrespectful. "It isn't that I do not understand the meaning." he looked down some realizing he must be coming off as arrogant in some way or another which was never his intention. He never truthfully meant to sound superior though he choice of words and the way he looks at others often gave that sense. "Until I become stronger than the Mizukage, I must forsake my own will to serve his purpose."   

Tashima stood for a moment saying nothing waiting for her reaction. As he stood still the cold breeze wisp past him picking up his long light blue hair and forcing it to wave. The soft silver light dancing off the individual strands. His long baggy pants waved like the surface of the water just to the side of the two. He could feel water gathering on the mesh wires of his under shirt and on the rim of his gloves. Dew began to form inside of the metal plates on the back of his hands with the symbols for water on them.  The shadows nestled around his black bracers, choosing only to hide from the light that moved along the metal buckles that fastened it onto his arms. Even as a genin his silhouette could look intimidating if seen in the right light. Unfortunately, this woman was someone who could discern that illusion with relative ease.  

Solstice snickered at him before asking a rather deep question, almost insulting as it targeted his moral code. He closed his eyes briefly thinking about what words to reply with before opening them upon concluding the answer. Her statement was one he had heard many times in the past. A single entity can only become so strong, but no one man can claim an entire nation alone. It was a worldly wisdom even he had to accept no matter how much his pride fought against it. "I am not so close-minded that I don't see the error in standing solitary. Even the Mizukage would be but one man without his nation behind him. Though my goals, which I'm assuming you're wanting to know is simple. I seek power. I desire the strength to one day compete with the Mizukage and surpass him.  I am a blade that wishes to never dull, and a blade that will one day wield itself. My alligence is to Kirigakure and the people of Country of Water.  I will use my power to crush any foe who crosses our path, that is my desire."  

Immediately after he finished he gave a visible smirk to her combat stance. This was how he preferred it anyways, let his actions speak for themselves.  He looked at her stance, it seemed familiar but he couldn't bring up anything on it. He disliked Taijutsu, he wasn't good at it, so the form was completely foreign to him. The only thing recognizable was he had seen it discussed once and that it was clearly a taijutsu stance, but he had no details on it what so ever. 
 
"Prove you're not a dull blade Tashima..."  

Her words alone made Tashima clench his fists. He nodded at her as his deamonor quickly shifted. This is what truly made Tashima a threat as Shinobi. She may have been the head of his clan, even a superior as a Jounin and more so a fellow Mist Ninja; though right now, in Tashimas eyes the moment she became a target. She was his enemy. The world suddenly was a pure black and white. There was no distinction. It's one of the many things discussed in Tashima's psychological exams before he was sent back to the academy.

Tashima stood looking at her, his eyes held a new icy glare to them. The eyes reserved for those who stood as foe to another. Tashima began to make handsigns and held his left hand up his index pointing to the sky. A jutsu Solstice would most certainly be familiar with, it was after all a trademark jutsu of Kirigakure. "Hidden Mist Jutsu..." Tashima said with a cold almost murderous tone.  As Tashima spoke the mist already present around them thickened into a thicker cloud.  As the mist became thicker Tashima began to vanish as from his feet up he seemed to become the mist itself. 

As he hid in the mist he immediately began to play scenarios and think of a plan. 'I have no ninja tools with me, and I'm against a Jounin. In this mist it's likely she'll either use the fog to create another clone and try to force me to reveal my location, or I could reveal my location and bait her to throw her weapons at me. Judging by that stance earlier if she plans to wait it out, I won't be able to take her at close range.'  He smirked unseen in the mist coming up with a plan as he began to move towards the water making sure to keep it near him and hoping she'd make a move, purposely luring her near his element.  She was an Aisu, that meant they shared the same chakra natures, if she was going to use ninjutsu, she'd likely use the water and to do that she'd have to come to the only real source. Besides if he wanted to capture her weapons, should she use them, he'd have to use THAT jutsu anyways. 

Training Fuuton C-B [2764/2000]

Chakra 140/150

Spoiler:

Solstice listened to the replies of a child which she believed to have lost his way, but she came up with an interesting irony while he was talking. Her eyes were analysing his wounds, and reading his lips as she registered his words like a person would input data into a computer. "That may have been the case. Though you chose not to watch me, nor did you choose to mask the presence of your clone very well either.  If you were merely the friend of my enemy then watching a mere genin would serve no other purpose than assessing clan techniques alone. Which as I'm sure you're aware, ours is fairly notable in the ninja world." His words spoke loudly, though she seemed to think he had missed a notable point, she was speaking from the perspective as if she was the enemy, but she wasn't. It was a matter of context leading up to the inevitable idea that they were ninja, they were assassins, and attacking anyone so close to a superpower like Kirigakure was, a place which was known for its ninja trained to hunt down and kill other ninja they would be of limited intelligence at best.



"I apologize but you wisdom falls on deaf ears. We are ninja tools of violence and death. It is the will of those who wield us who decide our purpose. Whether we agree with their goals or not, It isn't that I do not understand the meaning. Until I become stronger than the Mizukage, I must forsake my own will to serve his purpose."   Stronger than the Mizukage... That put a smile across Solstice's face, she hoped she never had the honour of putting the biggest possible target you could ever put on your head. Not to mention the paperwork the position involved. The amount she got in the Kage's absence, which was only a fraction of the Kage's work combined with her own was still enough to begin to send Solstice crazy. She was a fighter, a defender, and good at what she did, she doubted she would ever make a strong leader, especially when there were other people out there who were just as good as she was, if not better for the position. Solstice did not think too highly of herself in that respect, the power, the pressure, and especially the responsibility... the thought of it was already like chains wrapping around her chest and locking down her dreams...

As he spoke solstice took the mask and rose it to cover her face, placing the tight elastic clip around her head and holding it there as she rose the hood up to cover her hair, the lingering mist combined with the dark began to make her a shadow, little but the sheen of her char black mask with the five pointed star inscribed tribally over her eye, featureless, mouth-less, all except for the two malevolent slits which left ajar for her eyes, the only other feature the conquering four waves of Kirigakure etched into the forehead professionally. Markings of course which were not present when the killer once wore the piece of armour.   She faced the boy down and began to tense her body, her adrenaline beginning to pump as she saw him with her last words tense his body up ready to fight, she'd hit a nerve it seemed, she watched his eyes become cold, a coldness she recognised, it was the same cold she saw in the mirror when she fought to rid this world of those who would willingly destroy to ruin the lives of others.

This would be a battle to remember.

Though an interesting thought crossed solstice's mind as she thought about the stick which stands alone. The thought was that, "What if it wasn't impossible? What if someone was able to stand against the tide of time, against the gears of fate, and not be swept away by the current, or crushed by the wheels? Such a person would have to be stronger than every man, woman, and child on this earth to behold such a destiny, they would have to be able to fight all of them... and win. Only then... Only then... ..." Solstice snapped back to reality when she saw the boy's hands meet together with the intention of moulding his chakra into such a state where he would be able to use it for his own gain. Moulding the symbols for water and lucidity, there were few jutsu at his current rank he would be able to use with such specific chakra moulding, acid mist, and other mist based jutsu which many where bound to either specific kekkei genkai or higher ranked abilities. Regardless as to whether the jutsu would be offensive, defensive or even supplementary, she began to act.



Her body in her stance coiled like a spring by the time he had just finished his second hand symbol she would have reached him. Her body tensing and dropping its weight forward and down, bending at the knees and seemingly collapsing as they tensed and reinforced themselves, the tendons and the muscles suddenly fighting gravity as they forced her leg to erect, and thrust away from the ground once her head had angled a trajectory toward her target. Planting a foot into the ground as he lifted his arm up to the sky, Solstice understood that when being a Genin and fighting a Jounin rank ninja of the same clan as you, the odds of ever landing a hit were highly stacked against you. But adding that the Jounin is actively going on the offensive and you have a situation which is not desirable on any possible front or angle. The benefit here however was, that this was still a training spar, it was not simply beating down a Genin with the hope of showing off and flexing your muscles, Solstice wanted this boy to improve. And if he didn't this entire spar would have been a waste of time.

As She reached him she planted her left leg into the dirt, her momentum flowing from her leg up into her hip as the force of her charge attempted to make Solstice overbalance and flip. Though instead she, like she always did, would use it to her advantage, spinning into her opponent on her single planted point she funnelled the momentum into her hip, leaning her upper body away from Tashima as she produced a heavy yet fast roundhouse kick toward they boy's upper chest area, under where his arm had raised to the sky. The kick, normally would be enough to shatter his ribcage on impact and send the kid rag-dolling several meters with the sheer force, but such was not the point, her attack was intentionally a well telegraphed more so than sudden, giving him, although a narrow window, a big enough window for even a Genin to react to the blow. Following through with the kick, should the boy still be in range, directly after she would land her kicking foot and drop her weight with her back facing him for but a moment, her peripheral vision however still locked on, not breaking visual sight of him for a fraction of a second as she swept her other leg for the side of his knees with the intend to spin his weight out from under him and drop the Genin to the floor.

"You're prone when you're using hand signs... You'll need to find a way to use them during a fight and minimise your vulnerability if they wont give you quarter..." She spoke only after her two kicks had been performed, rolling backward immediately after to face down the boy, whether or not he had found a means to still use the full effect of the hidden mist Jutsu was up to him, but should he have simply attempted to use it before she reached him, he would have exchanged mist, for a good helping of pain.

Chakra 295:

Suiton Training: 3573

Tashima's eyes widened when she darted to him, she wasn't going to let him use his jutsu without a fight. Solstice's body moved fluidly to him, he had only managed to finish the fourth sign before having to stop weaving the seals for the jutsu and raise his lightly armored arm to block the round house. Tashima winced in pain squinting his eyes as his forearm slammed against his ribs from the force of the kick.  If he had taken a direct hit from that attack he would've been far more injured. Air would've escaped his lungs as his rib cage pushed into it absorbing the blunt of the blow and his body would've ragdolled against the ground whether he attempted to hold his footing or not. She was good, but she was still insulting him. 

Blocking the first attack as he did only left him open for her second attack. Her leg came faster sweeping at his knees. Tashima felt his weight immediately shift as his leg caved and was swept by the force of his opponents. He was already falling before he could command his body to react. He fell face first into the ground furrowing his lip as she rolled away from him. 

"You're prone when you're using hand signs... You'll need to find a way to use them during a fight and minimize your vulnerability if they wont give you quarter..."

Tashima placed his palms on the ground and pushed himself up lifting him into the air as he bent his body back with the force to bring him to his feet. He glared at her for a moment while wiping the wet dirt from his lips. 'She held back. If she wanted to that attack could've easily broke through my defenses and completely changed the tides of this battle.' he admitted to himself.  He scanned her mask starring into her eyes, "You're holding back." his eyes narrowed as his muscles tensed ready for his next move. "You insult me by dulling your own blade." he tightened his fists as he spoke.  

 'If you're going to use Taijutsu against me, I have no other choice but to use THAT jutsu against you. Simple academy tricks won't do me any good.' Tashima immediately jolted towards the water without warning.  As he ran he the air around him began to cool. His body channeling the Ice Element at feet. Upon landing from a half leap giving him maybe just a few inches of air, he began to slide on the ground and on the water before reaching the middle of the lake.  He spun around to face his opponent a trail of frost left in his wake before his techique ended. As his technique ended Tashima fell into the water his arms folded. 

The water around him was cold. He liked cold though for it to  be this cold to him probably meant someone without the ice element would be freezing. Tashima knew full well what the plan was here. The water served many purposes, its first and for most was it was the catalyst of THAT technique, second was that taijutsu and really almost all physical movement was harder to use in water, and the third biggest advantage of the water... inside of the water Tashima's handsigns wouldn't be seen. 

As his body continued to descend inside the lake he began to prepare his jutsu. Something that only a handful of Shinobi were blessed with seeing. Tashima strove to master the water element, his eventual goal was to master it to the point of being able to control it at will.  In his pursuit he discovered this technique a technique that currently he and he alone knew. He began to mix his chakra with the near by water. 'Water Style: Flowing Threads of the Water Goddess'  

Solstice would have to come to him if she wanted to rely on Taijutsu and with this technique now activated within the water, she'd never see it coming as she got close. This technique allowed Tashima to control water shaping it to his will. It was the perfect water jutsu for the situation, inside water she wouldn't be able to tell what parts of the water were mixed with his chakra without a Doujutsu. With the goal of only having to hit her, he had the advantage whether she chose to come into the water or simply stand on the skirts of the lake.

Fuuton Training C-B [3535/2000]

Chakra: 115/150

Spoiler:

Solstice watched as she landed the blows, softening them slightly on impact so to not literally kill the child on impact, her foot colliding with his arm instead, not ripping the wind from his chest, but she could feel his bones bending and flexing under the weight of her kick, she could have broken him in half with that roundhouse, lowering her weight and spinning like a cyclone she exercised better judgement and found herself instead ripping his footing out from underneath him, her foot whipping out and catching the side of his knee, following through as his upper body for but a split second as gravity did the rest of her work for her, and dropped him hard into the ground. the dirt softened by the mist would have cushioned his fall, but it was still a six foot drop building up momentum before his head accelerated and nearly hit the ground. Solstice looked into his surprised eyes as he began to talk. There was an amount of anger in his voice, she could hear it crackling like lightning on the tip of his tongue.

"You're holding back. You insult me by dulling your own blade." The fact he seemed to be genuinely surprised that she did not end his life in a simple training exercise was a little unique to say the least, most people would have been great-full she would have expected him to learn the lesson, and take it in stride, but instead he lay on his ass and claimed that Solstice had insulted him. That actually made her a little angry. "In war kid, you need every soldier you can get, I'm trying to train you into something useful, if i just kill you, I lose a prospect. You need to judge the world by absolutes, what would happen if everyone did what you claim? Huh? If everyone killed every student in every spar... There would be no world of the ninja." She ended from behind her mask and stared cold daggers into the boy's soul, but now he had asked for it, he was going to need to defend himself from her, if he wanted her on the assault she would not deny him it. He would soon see how Jounin Fought in comparison to other ninja. 

As he ran away he seemed to make a strategic retreat moving toward the body of water not too far away, the lake was about thirty five meters across and to Solstice's memory a good number of meters down in a bowl like shape, she gripped the fuuma shuriken and unfastened it from her back once he was in the water and out of sight, she doubted he would be able to see her, sensory ninjutsu did not seem to be in his repertoire of skills, but the same went for her being able to see him, solstice was not a ninjutsu user, which was unfortunate in this kind of battle, where an opponent would be able to hail projectiles toward the opponent's area until a hit could be landed or a plan formulated. They seemed to have reached a temporary potential stand still, a stalemate. Two kings moving around a chess board attempting to take each other, and it seemed the first person to enter the other's domain would be the victor. Solstice began the process of approaching the precipice, splitting the fuuma shuriken into its parts and wielding them like swords which they were capable of doing. Without the use of the string she folded each segment of two prongs into one. 

Solstice had a plan, taking the two segments she would split them again into four and begin the imbalance of the Demon ice corruption jutsu, infusing the power of the ice into the four seperate blade's, each of the blades became supercooled, enough to freeze water at a touch as her body temperature became colder than dry ice. The steam and vapour raising in plumes off the blades was almost invisible with the surrounding natural mist of kirigakure covering up her intentions. Though Solstice had a plot yet to behold. She was not capable of long range ninjutsu, but her mind had been racing at a thousand miles a minute. Looking deep into the distortion in her body she isolated an amount of the fuuton chakra and flowed the complex aura of air across the surface of her blades, spending some precious time weaving the air in such a pattern that the blades would return to her once they had been thrown, almost regardless of the trajectory, almost as if the fuuton chakra would always find its way home. 

Gripping the four blades, which would normally not return to her, she hurled them in four separate directions, curving and cascading deep into the water to find her opponent, her A rank Taijutsu and the strength of the throw combined with the cyclones of air and supercooled steel thrashed through the non chakra enhanced water like knives through butter. Each of the blades leaving behind them long tendrils of frozen water as they cut through the deep. She was going to limit his movement in the lake with the initial attack, the blades over the next small while would begin to route to the outside and find an appropriate angle of return (in coming posts) before returning to her through the centre of the lake and hewing whatever they passed through. The B rank blades unlike the C rank normal counterpart of a Fuuma shuriken was strong enough to withstand the effects of chakra enhancing, the only reason the two effects did not cancel each other out, was one was an effect which surrounded the blade like a web, but the supercooling of the metal to such a point it would freeze the water was an effect installed into the blade itself. 

Solstice smiled as she began to freeze long strokes into the lake, though was prepared for his counter attack, she watched and listened and felt as her blades cut through the water, she was able to follow the distortions of the lake as the four projectiles traced the meters they sliced through. He'd have to make a move soon. Though there was no guarantee she would hit him, he was beginning to lose his strategic advantage. The cold temperatures of the lake would not break up the ice for some hours or probably until the morning. Bus Solstice believed in him, the girl behind the mask was chanting him on like a friend on the sidelines, though she did not show it, repeating in her mind 'comeon comeon comeon comeon comeon comeon'

chakra: 270:

Suiton Training: 4692

Tashima sat under water using manipulation his own jutsu to further drag himself to the bottom of the lake. Thick chakra mixed water wrapped and coiled around his ankles up to his knees like an eel constricting its prey before dragging him down quickly in the water.  He was still a human, and he hadn't mastered any technique that would allow for water breathing yet so even he'd only be able to wait this out so long.  He was no sensory ninja but by using the waters natural displacement he could sense the vibrations of any movement along the waters surface and in combination with his own natural speed and his tendrils, his maneuverability in water is unparalleled.  He waited down in the water letting his ears reach out to recognize the faintest of muffled sounds in the water as he stood like a statue at the bottom. 

He had no idea what she was doing, the water of the lake was not prestine blue, nor at this depth was it clear. The pressure alone was enough to restrict his movements save for the added help of his jutsu. 'What is she planning? If she chooses to simply wait it out then she herself puts herself at risk, while under water I could easily weave several jutsu together and counter attack with any thing from clones to the terrain below her. So what is she planning I wonder.' he narrowed his eyes as he continued to heighten was little of his senses he could use.  'If she dives in to take me out with Taijutsu she'll have forfeited the match. The range of this technique far exceeds any normal taijutsu skills. I'll have her far before she even discerns my location.  If she chooses to attack with that shuriken on her back, I'll be able to feel the vibrations cut the water and adjust my position. She knows I have no visible weapons, throwing it without strings or a way to return the weapon is just fueling my armory. She won't make a move like that without a back-up plan.  From what little I can see, she doesn't seem like she's very skilled in water ninjutsu and even so I'd be able to feel her molding the chakra in the water long before the jutsu would take form. So what are you doing?' he held his hand to his chin as he continued to wait playing out the plans. 

His thoughts were finally interrupted as she made her move. He could feel the shuriken slice through the water at violent speeds. 'Four points of entry, she intends to slice through the lake to find me. She's underestimating me again.' he smirked as he rose his arm, his tendril coiling further up his body wrapping around his mid section. The first blade came flying past him leaving a trail of bubbles in its wake. The tendril tugged at him as he kicked off the ground increasing his speed narrowly dodging the first attack. 'One...' with his new position the second came sweeping just over head perpendicular to the first, 'Two'.  The third came close but he had no need to move it wouldn't cut into him. 'Three' he unraveled his tendril for the forth spinning as the fourth came flying past.  'Fou-!?' Tashima's eyes widened as he the robe like cloth tied around his right shoulder tugged causing his spin to fall short.  'What the-!?'  Tashima's eyes narrowed as he saw the ice creeping over his clothes and rapidly spreading. 'She used Ice Element with the Fuuma Shuriken!?' he gritted his teeth as the rapidly freezing water threatened to ensnare him further. Tashima quickly kicked off the trail of ice above him as he began to de-robe the cloth over shirt.  If she wasn't able to read his movements with the ice before that last move gave a dead give-a-away of his location. He'd have to move away from the ice or he'd freeze. 

His tendril wrapped around him again dragging him lower into the lakes bottom and tugging with each kick to propel him faster as he moved away from the icy web created by the attack. 'I never expected a move like that. Though she left me a trail to follow too. It works both ways Lady Solstice' he thought with a grin as he began to weave handsigns. 'Ice Prison Jutsu' he swam close to one of the freezing trails and placed his hand on it sending his own Ice Element through it before kicking off keeping the seal for the ice element to control the attack.  Restricting his movements only meant she revealed her location as well and his chakra rode the ice trails like train tracks meeting with the ground following towards her. Once it met with her the chakra would begin to form ice at her feet rapidly rising to swallow her in a thick brick of ice.  

Tashima would have to leave the water soon, the cold made it even harder to keep his breath as the temperatures constricted his every vessel and threatened to collapse his lungs with the water pressure.  Still controlling his tendrils, he let them drag him by the waist. A much slower pace than before but, he needed to exit to the surface if he had any chance of winning the battle. 

Training Fuuton C-B [4446/2000]

Chakra 100/150

Spoiler:

Solstice smirked as she saw the distortion in the waves below warp and twist around his form in the water, he dodged the skill, but did not seem to notice that the blades were turning in the water far behind him, routing around in long graceful arks coordinating their return to solstice through moving relatively slow through the water as Solstice stood in place and looked down to the long tendrils of ice which ripped through the lake leaving long scars through the water. She could almost feel his reaction, or at the very least she would be able to picture it, the look of gritting contentedness on his face as her very existence standing before him she incarnated his weakness into a manifested physical form. Though that was not what she was trying to portray at all, she was trying to become a pillar which became the thought that strength was found in other sources. Solstice was glad he had dodged the technique, but she was not able to go easy on him, this was clear, if he landed a blow on her body, he had to do it of his own sheer volition, if she did not give him everything she had, he would know, and his victory would be stained with that hollow negative thought, seeping into his resolve like poison.

It wasn't long however until she could feel something different down at her feet, she could feel the cold of the earth beneath her feet freezing over, though there was ice at her feet due to her own ice jutsu, this was different, the ice rising up from the ground around her ankles was not as cold as her skin, but it was also not hers. 'oh, you clever boy, you managed to use my ice as a conduit to trace your own Hyouton chakra up... very good, very, very good...' Solstice as the ice froze up to her knees performed a single hand symbol, there was only one way out of this that she could foresee, bending her thighs the ice had creeped up to her waist and with a single flare of chakra she seemed to be sealed within the tomb of ice for all intents and purposes. Though What really lay within the prison was naught but a B ranked still spinning blade, now ground long to a halt, Solstice now below the water watched the ripple extend as her bent position and close proximity to one of her other blades allowed her to grip one of them tightly, the others cutting off from their path to run through the ninja concealed in the centre of the lake, and now return to their much closer source.  

Her legs already bent into a bracing position and her now under water position was positioned just over the floor, kicking off she was only a poultry ten or so meters from her opponent, the demon ice jutsu freezing the water around her, though the solidifying ice meant nothing to her A rank Taijutsu. With a single consolidated kick off the ground her escape was assured. With the one quarter of the fuuma shuriken in her hand she hurled it down for where she had managed to get a fix on the boy's position within the lake. the blade screamed through the air as the blade hissed constantly spinning making a whirring noise which would be deafened by the insulation of the lake. The blade would impact the now rippling broken surface of the water and slow down little as it hurtled for the boy. Freezing the water on contact once again as it would penetrate into the depths of the water. This time she understood that he would probably gain a weapon from that action should he have the reflexes to grab it, or the time to retrieve it.

Falling from the height of her jump Aya landed on the surface of the water, her chakra expertly spread over the surface of her feet, she's deciphered some of his plan, he wanted to lure her to the water, Solstice's eyes scanned the surface and the deep as another of the deep scars into the lake would be left, she paused and awaited his next actions. The cold of her feet and hands crouched on the ground like an animal ready to pounce at wounded prey was freezing small patches of the water on the surface, raising her body weight up she stood at her full height and muttered under her breath; Come on kid, here i am, you got what you wanted and you've lured me to the lake, what's your plan... think... strategise, you're not going to hit me with a simple advantage like this, surprise me...


While in the corner of her eye her blades were returning to her, the three of them making their final route back to return to her hands, ready to catch and re-assemble them, she took their presence with grace, as she would be able to defend and assault with blades, as she awaited his counter attack. But they weren't quite there yet, considered neutral territory for the most part as she extended an arm to catch the first of the few as it was no more than four meters away from her body.

Chakra 260:

WC = 5586

'Gotcha' Tashima thought as his chakra turned to ice that climbed up Solstices body.  It was a bit of an underhanded trick using her own ice as a conduit for his own hyouton chakra but then again an ninja is skilled in the art of deception and winning against Solstice would require a trick like that. She was far superior to him in not only rank, but her jutsu repertoire was likely far more diverse. He only had the techniques he learned at the academy and a few clan jutsu at his disposal. If he was going to get a solid hit on a taijutsu user with that much speed he'd had to use his own jutsu. A creation he made by manipulating water itself. 

Tashima winced feeling his body coming to its limit. He needed air. He let a soft growl as his tendrils drug him towards the edges of the water. His eyes widened as he felt the ice encase a blade instead of Solstice. 'Substitution Jutsu!? Hmmmm, I must be making good progress to force you to use THAT technique. But if you're not there...'  He gave a smirk feeling her in the water. 'I see you're going in the water now that I have to leave it.'  Tashima looked in her direction reading the ripples from the water only to see the scar of ice created by her jutsu as she leaped to the surface.  He looked up as the Fuuma Shuriken pierced the water leaving another large icy scar along its depths.  

His tendrils already dragging his body against the bottom of the lake close enough for him to feel the wall of soft mud that formed the shape of the lake. The shuriken came darting down into the water smashing into the dirt below sending up a cloud of mud and aquatic vegetation. Tashima began to resurface as one of his tendrils coiled around the blade plucking it from the dirt and returning to Tashima. 

He needed to use speed to safely exit the water and get his advantage in place.  About 4 meters from breaking the surface Tashima channeled his chakra to his feet kicking off the wall and getting and extra push from his tendrils dragging him upward as he reached out retrieving the blade from his other tendril as the water gushed as his body broke the surface landing on the ground on the other side of the lake.  He placed his hand on his knees holding his head up as his eyes scanned through the thin veil of mist for his enemy. Upon breaking into the oxygen rich air he took a deep breath and continued panting some. The blade he had liberated from his enemy was placed behind his back during the initial break of the surface using the wall of water created to conceal his free hand moving it so that his opponent wouldn't see that he had it on him. 

He glared at Solstice quickly regaining his composure. "I must admit, I haven't been pushed this hard is some time. I'm glad you are my opponent." he shouted. It was almost out of his character to admire his opponent verbally, then again he hadn't fought anyone of her caliber and no matter how much it pained him to see the clear difference in their power. The mixture of endorphin and adrenaline told his body and his mind, he was enjoying this none the less. 
He looked at her standing on the surface of the water catching her blades with ease. 'This is going to be risky but it's the only way I can think of to make an opening.' Tashima sighed already imagining the pain he'd endure with his new plan.  "Still, my blade is not THAT dull Lady Solstice!" he cried as he leaped onto the water landing on its surface his chakra dispering at his feet to let him walk along the surface. He ran a full charge towards Solstice making handsigns as he ran.  As he ran his arms held back he made a  sharp turn to circle around her, in that instant 2 other Tashima's appeared, one continuing the path forward and the the other in the opposite circle mirroring the other. 'Against a Jounin this is essentially useless, however these clones aren't for traditional uses.' Under the water unknown to Solstice, Tashima's chakra-mixed water followed underneath him just a few meters down. 

The plan was far too simple to be flawed. He'd attack Solstice head on, with the clones moving to circle around her. At the point of his first attack his clones would be directly on top of her as well. She'd attack him only to have him substitution jutsu himself using the blade he just retrieved as the item for substituion and releasing the clones to make a veil of smoke in junction with the substitution while his tendril would creep up and retrieve the blade while Tashima uses the Transformation Technqiue to turn into the blade and drop to the ground. With the blade now underwater and Tashima disguised as the blade, he'd be able use his tendril to throw the blade while his other tendril raises up for an attack, dodging both techniques she'd never see Tashima break the Henge no Jutsu and come in for a solid attack.  'This HAS to work...if I this doesn't do it...' Tashima shook off the idea as he and his illusions ran towards Solstice ready for the plan to be 
excuted.  

Training Fuuton C-B [5385/2000]

Chakra 80/150

Spoiler:

The boy exploded from the water to land upon its surface, a look of an amount of fun across his face, but solstice was not about to give up, this boy had to earn his victory, it was not impossible to land a blow on a jounin, but to do so you had to catch the jounin by surprise. If your hit was good enough, in which case bordering genius levels of strategic employment a good plethora of skills and knowledge of the human body, it was capable to surprise a jounin enough to be able to not only catch them completely off guard, but potentially even put them out of the fight wit an attack executed perfectly. But such a strategy wrote on a lot of different things, the skills of the jounin, some did not even allow you to get close because of the nature of their skill set. Others, like Aya, had increased physical parameters and did not underestimate even a Genin Ranked ninja, which closed off opportunities for her to be 'surprised' by the skills and capabilities of the Genin, as she often fought her opponents as if they were a rank higher than they often were.

Solstice's eyes locked on the boy once he came above ground and spoke lightly to which solstice listened intently, wondering f he was going to give up, though after "I must admit, I haven't been pushed this hard is some time. I'm glad you are my opponent. Still, my blade is not THA-" was all that he was going to say before Solstice registered that a submission was not going to be a part of that sentence, her body coiled and it sprung toward him, causing water to explode out in every direction behind her as she kicked off a slight ripple which allowed her to head straight toward her opponent. Her hands out to either side as she noticed him split into three. Analysing to herself as she spotted the three clones waiver into existence to either side of him.

"He's unable to use shadow clone or water clone, as the abilities are too high rank for him to use, it's an academy skill, they're unable to attack, have no chakra storage, have no shadow and make no sound when they move..."  she registered mentally as she soared toward him, not knowing that he would have the blade which she had thrown at him under water. knowing such would have been a key element in her attack, but as he had decided to keep it hidden from here, there was no way of reacting to it until the moment he revealed it. But she had a surprise technique of her own, one which had managed to take fellow jounin by surprise in a serious training spar. Her arms to either side of her body with her hyouton chakra already spread out between her chakra points likely to explode through her skin.

Rotation

A technique once thought to be exclusive to the Hyuga was not quite so, the ability to use chakra through one's chakra gates was an ability which could be learnt with enough practise, while Solstice did not have full control over all of her chakra gates like the prodigies of the hyuga clan, she had still manged to locate and train about two thirds of them which needed to be done for the full body nature of the Demon Ice Corruption jutsu. Which was more than enough to incorporate rotation into her repertoire. Weak in comparison to the legend of the impenetrable defence which was the palm rotation technique Solstice's jutsu flared in her body, sending a plume of mist out to her sides. Bending her arms and planting her feet as she reached the boy and is clones she paused. This technique did not last long, so it had to be timed perfectly.

spinning in place the hyouton chakra exploded outward from her body in every direction bot a meter. Freezing the surface of the pond into a solid piece of ice which could be stood on. the rotation with relative ease connected with the two clones and dispersed them, and she thought it had connected with him, she saw in an instant the hyouton rotation connect with its natural amount of force capable of knocking him back and allowing solstice to follow up her attack, but as he was knocked away and hit the water there was nothing but a blade in his stead... HER blade. That was enough to make her turn to face the boy as his fist came down and connected with her face solidly. The Solid steel of the mask deflecting any damage the Genin could hope to have incurred, but it was a blow none the less, the force caused solstice to be knocked back, but her demonic ice corruption was still being channelled through her body. The super cooled steel had been touching her the entire time and on contact, the surface area of the boy's hand would become frozen in an act which would cause a large sum of pain.

Solstice's follow up attack was interrupted as she was knocked back a solid step from the direct impact. Then dropping any and all of the effects of the Demonic ice corruption jutsu and removing her mask with a smile on her face. If solstice had of been able to use her own substitution she would of, however she had burned the technique too early. And though her reaction was to soak the attack with her mask, curling her fists to counterattack the boy. She stopped inches from connecting her fist with the boy's gut before recoiling her punch. Not bad... Not bad at all. Solstice spoke lightly, knowing that now he wold be able to claim he had connected with her fairly, and without bias intentions. The boy's hand would thaw with the natural blood flow of his body in a few minutes, until then it would hurt, and it would have damaged an amount of his cells which would be repaired eventually.

It's not easy fighting an opponent on your own, but I want you to know, if you had of fought me as an enemy I would have killed you in my first kick... I chose not to not because I am weak, and not because I think you are weak, but because we are allies, and I am trying to make you stronger. I gain nothing from killing you, no training, no development, and in the end, no ally. So, I hope you understand that, after fighting me, and not... you know... being dead, and I bet you can feel your body is just a little bit stronger after that little amount of tempering.

You don't have to rely on people to help you to accept it when it is offered. There is no inherent weakness in that. she finished, looking to him for a reaction as she stood on the sheet of ice she'd made like a boat in the centre of the pond 

Chakra 240:

WC = 6782

Tashima's plan was coming into action. As Solstice ran towards him she stopped as his dopplegangers swurved to the side. She had her palms extended taking a stance he had not seen before. The mist rising off her body like an aura of her immense power. 'A blade's mettle is proven not in its ability to cleave alone, a weapon must be versatile. One purpose is one strategy, one strategy is flawed...always this is constant in life. To have one skill is to be flawed, flaw is dullness, and a blade that has dulled is trash...to be discarded and forgotten.' Tashima drew back his hand his dopplegangers following with him as he tightened his hand into a fist.  'I don't care how powerful you are, no one is untouchable, my blade will remain sharp!'  Timing would be everything, there was no room for error, for this plan to fail to meant he was a failure.  

Everything played out in an instant. Solstice began to spin in place mimicking Konoha's Hyuuga Clan's Rotation technique, using her chakra gates and Hyouton chakra to create a massive pulse of ice and kinetic force.  Tashima quickly used probably one of the ninjas most priceless techniques, something taught to even academy students, the substituion jutsu. In an instant Tashima channeled chakra at his feet leaping into the air using the blade he had taken from Lady Solstice and switching it with his previous position.  Tashima contorted his body in the air as he watched the blade fly into the water and Solstice stop moving. 

'I hate hand to hand fighting. Honestly, an ideal opponent for me uses purely taijutsu, however in that kind of battle the versatility of both of our jutsu would be the deciding factor over a victor. At my current level, even being able to land a hit on you, whether it be nothing more than a light tap or fatal blow is beyond the extent of what I should be able to accomplish.' Tashima closed his eyes for a moment as gust of wind from her jutsus last full rotation slammed past him. The cold icy wind stinging as it met his eyes and slithered across his skin. 'You remind me of HIM. I've been in many squads, I've seen the variety of what Kirigakure can produce. Jounins with jutsu far surpassing the laws we thought governed all jutsu.' As he spoke in his mind that last second, the image of the man in the painting at his home filled his mind. The only person to ever have eyes in a portrait drawn by Tashima. Tashima's own jutsu, the Flowing Threads of the Water Goddess, was nothing more than a tribute to HIS technique. A man that made water itself an extension of his being. The jutsu Tashima so wished to master. Total control of water, moving it by his will alone. A feat near impossible without years of training and absolute understanding of the Water Element. 

Tashima opened his eyes, filling them with resolve as he clenched his fist coming down at Solstice aimed for her mask. Upon impact he winced, his knuckles pressing hard against the steel mask transferring his kinetic force into her, knocking her back while he landed. His hand instinctively grabbing his fist which had been coated in a thin layer of ice. The attack still wasn't enough, Lady Solstice immediately went for a counter attack stopping only short of his gut.  Tashima closed his eyes wincing from his current pain only anticipating further damage to his body. When the new pain hadn't came, Tashima opened his eyes hesitantly still clinging to his iced over fist shaking from the pain. He looked at her as she smiled at him. Why was she smiling? He had succeeded but if this were a real fight he would've been destroyed in the first few seconds. She held back with her kick, if she had used her full force he would've easily broke his ribs, more than likely punctured a lung and drowned on his own blood.  

'It's not easy fighting an opponent on your own, but I want you to know, if you had of fought me as an enemy I would have killed you in my first kick... I chose not to not because I am weak, and not because I think you are weak, but because we are allies, and I am trying to make you stronger. I gain nothing from killing you, no training, no development, and in the end, no ally. So, I hope you understand that, after fighting me, and not... you know... being dead, and I bet you can feel your body is just a little bit stronger after that little amount of tempering. '

Tashima took in a deep breath and let out a soft sigh as he focused to wipe away the pain from his face and regain is composer. While his eyes may have reverted to their normal cold lifeless stare and the air about him shifted to back when they first encountered one another, his body still trembled in the pain. A wasted effort but to Tashima it was more about his pride than anything else. He had succeeded in his mission, he wouldn't stand there catering to a wound. He stared into her eyes giving her a light nod to affirm that he was listening. "As I said earlier, if you had killed me. I could harbor you no ill will. Though, fighting you as my superior, even if it was merely to land a single blow, has sharpened my blade. For that alone, you have my thanks." he bowed showing Solstice proper honor as his superior and sparring partner. "As Shinobi, both you and I constantly push ourselves and those we call our allies to strive to become stronger. I see no flaw in a well prepared armory." he rose looking at her as the pain in his hand began to slow fade as blood circulated back through it returning its color slowly.  "During our battle you told me to judge the world in absolutes." Tashima paused for a moment before continuing, "I may be inexperienced in the true world of the Shinobi, but I do have a wisdom that I have found to be an absolute. Something many do not seem to fully grasp or appreciate the simplicity in." Tashima stared at her with his cold lifeless eyes letting the melting ice from his hand drip slowly onto the wet soil below.  "We shall all die." 

Tashima's tone was serious but the statement while it may have been more on the macabre side, had several meaning to Tashima.  To Tashima, life was an ephemeral moment. Meaning to him, that no matter how hard he struggles, no matter how many missions, or lives he saves, in the end everyone would eventually die. Immortality was a sin in its own right. The impact he left on this plane of existence would have to either be catastrophic or paragon in scale to truly matter. The apathetic attitude he wore was a mask, to Tashima that was a non-spoken challenge of his pride. If that is what it took for his name to out live him, for his goals to become reality, then he would become one of the most powerful shinobi on the planet.  

"We shall all die..."

To someone who did not know him well, that statement may have seemed rude,or even apathetic,  as he was often mistaken for. Would Ayakashi Solstice, truly understand the deeper meaning in this statement?  How much about him did she know? Tashima, who has a child was shown the horrors of death, photographs and mission reports of some of the ninja worlds darker dealings in an attempt to de-sensitize him to what he would face as a shinobi. His parents efforts proved more than once to be effective, upon their own demise and the demise of his squad.  

Training Fuuton C-B [6730/2000]

Chakra 75/150

Spoiler:

Solstice looked over him as he spoke, she sat down on the ice raft in the middle of the lake and found herself just watching him. Sitting down with a single knee cocked up able to lean against comfortably with one of her arms while the other leg crooked and crossed underneath it with her other hand laying across her lap. The cold against her body did not really register as they moved closer and closer to the shore, she would have to get her blade back from the bottom of the lake at some point, though it was not a pressing issue at the current point in time. The main thing was his achievement, and her wanting to make him feel accomplished, as the resulting attack had ended he recoiled back with the pain across his hand and for that Solstice felt a little bad. Bus she also felt that the pain she had caused him would more than likely help him in the long run, is was something he was going to have to think about with later opponents rather than simply aim for a punch. Punches were dangerous, risky things which could wind you up in more trouble than you think was worth it.

She listened to him speak, "As I said earlier, if you had killed me. I could harbour you no ill will. Though, fighting you as my superior, even if it was merely to land a single blow, has sharpened my blade. For that alone, you have my thanks. Shinobi, both you and I constantly push ourselves and those we call our allies to strive to become stronger. I see no flaw in a well prepared armory. During our battle you told me to judge the world in absolutes. I may be inexperienced in the true world of the Shinobi, but I do have a wisdom that I have found to be an absolute. Something many do not seem to fully grasp or appreciate the simplicity in. We shall all die." His words rank true, and though we all may die, every good action could cause a positive change, the idealist in Solstice would like to think that saving one life meant saving a family from pain and anguish, each person that did not have to die, meant a lover, a mother, a father, brothers, sisters and friends that did not have to experience pain. As a tactician, one man can change the course of an entire battle, saving one man, allows that man to save more, and they save more, and more, and more, and more, until the victory is at hand.


"I think I see where you are coming from, though, we live on in our actions. I believe if you save but one life, that is an existence that would not exist were you not born Every live born through them, every one the touch, they save, they effect is your doing. I think that thinking like that is the task of a ninja. If failing a mission meant doing what is right, I would do it, and I would expect you to do it too, there are enough heartless killers in this world, we don't need another... A ninja with a heart... is a rare and powerful thing. And right now you don't have one... But i believe in you, and you'll get there." Solstice spoke as the mist broke around them, opening out into a small uncommon glimpse at the night sky, where some of the brighter stars could be seen, noticing them solstice found her gaze raising to look at them, their glistening shine reflecting in her eyes. She had no doubt that the boy sitting before her was little more than a product of the times he had experienced, much like herself in many ways. She wondered for a moment what he and her would have been like without the death, and without the chaos, Solstice would probably have never become a ninja, learning how to make ninja tools and practising with them in her mother's shop, and he would probably still have whatever manner of innocence and hope which once shone in his eyes.


"Though I understand your point of view very well, its the point of view which gave Kirigakure it's title of the bloody mist, that strength is everything. Back when one only rose in rank after a skirmish after which there was only one survivor. Losing a squad must be tough though, but I think, that you're going to need an conscience in days to come, you're going to need to find someone to hold you back when you need to be held back. So... Until you find that someone, you'll be riding with me." Solstice stood and dusted herself off. "I'll put in a request to take you in my squad so that I know you have someone that will not hold you back when you try, but will stop you when you go to far. While in the mean time I would be able to teach you the ins and outs of Hyouton chakra, as an Aisu who is experienced with the subject, I should be able to teach you how to apply the advanced chakra nature into other skills which would make you many times more devastating in combat. "


Solstice hoped that his reaction would be a surprised one, she had seen a glimmer of respect in his eyes or at least his posture at one point, though she may just be seeing things. At this point everything was up in the air when it came to Tashima, she would hope to teach him how to be empathetic, but it was going to be a long road. As it stood he was cold, and calculating, apathetic in his actions and uncaring. She had been blunt with him, but she felt that was the best way to drill an ideal into a logic machine like he was. She only hoped that his emotional state was not chronic, he would be once again put into another squad, and how he worked with that squad would be paramount to the strength and power of the group, especially when it came to the chuunin exams. Solstice would have to prepare her team, and ensure that they would be the best of the best for the days to come, and they would represent the strength of the land of water.

Looking at Tashima, Solstice believed they were in safe hands. 

Word count 7876

Tashima stood watching her coldly occasionally tightening his hand and releasing his fist to try and increase blood flow into his fingers. The cold from the last attack still stung and it was likely not going to go away for a while. Conveniently, his clan was attuned naturally to the cold and the ice element so the damage could've been far worse if his genetics to factor in the equation.   Tashima stood respectfully listening to her quietly until she mentioned his heart. At the exact moment she mentioned he didn't have one his eyes narrowed silently. Emotions were weak, and the heart was a useless organ that was best left serving only one true function in the body and nothing more.  So why did that statement insult him so? Tashima quickly wiped the glare from his face realizing his facial expression was inappropriate and too revealing.

"Though I understand your point of view very well, its the point of view which gave Kirigakure it's title of the bloody mist, that strength is everything. Back when one only rose in rank after a skirmish after which there was only one survivor. Losing a squad must be tough though, but I think, that you're going to need an conscience in days to come, you're going to need to find someone to hold you back when you need to be held back. So... Until you find that someone, you'll be riding with me."

Tashima rose a brow looking at her questioningly. When she had mentioned the loss of his previous squad, terrible memories he tried his best to suppress began to show on his face and he gritted his teeth and tightened his fists. There was ONE more thing left on his agenda. He would get revenge before he died. When he attained power he would find and destroy who ever did this to him and his squad.  The last part didn't even seem to register with him until she continued when his facial expression to questioning surprise.

"You want to take me on as a student?" he questioned her heightening his voice with his curiosity. He looked at her almost dis trustingly, "Why?" The very idea was foreign, she was far past him in nearly all stats that made up a ninja, why take away from her own development to cater to his weakness?  

"You make no sense Lady Solstice. I have performed no better than what is expected for a genin at my age. If you believe some how your tutelage will some how 'change my ideals' or force me to break my code, you are wrong.  The Mist may have been founded on the blood of others, and socially that may be wrong, however you seem blind to the benefits it did provide. Nothing was more flawless in Shinobi law than the previous namesake. Weaker Shinobi were killed and discarded for their dulled blade. As a military, we can't afford to take every life as a military asset. An army of cowards with sticks, will fall to a single unit of shield and sword. You're path is noble, and I respect you for it. However this is reality Lady Solstice, pretending that lives won't be lost and that everyone's life holds the same value or potential, is insulting.  If you had slain me today, would the mist be any weaker? Or do you believe that me, one genin, is the one tactical advantage in battle?" his voice became cold as he spoke of his views to her. "If you wish to enlist me in your care, I will not decline an offer that will make me stronger. However, if you wish me to walk the same path as you..." his eyes shifted as he peered into hers, a familiar murderous gaze that he held when it came to his personal life or goals reflected in visage. He reached to his headband and untied it tossing it at her, "Then slay me now." the severity in his voice echoed quietly through the mist. "I shall not break my code. I'll die before I allow myself to lose what I hold important."

Chakra 75/150

Training Fuuton C-B [7436/2000]

~Snap~

Solstice found herself become angry at the boy's idiocy, he had crossed the boundries from a simple philosophical standpoint into sheer idiocy, and insulted solstice for it, her years as a Jounin, what she had seen, heard and experienced, towered over this petulant child, and she was going teach him a lesson. Solstice's eyes narrowed at his insults as she listened to his words, at first, she had thought that he was simply a damaged over defensive kid who had lost one too many friends, but she was beginning to think otherwise, that he had simply lost a couple too many brain cells after being hit one too many times in the head.

"You want to take me on as a student? Why? You make no sense Lady Solstice. I have performed no better than what is expected for a genin at my age. If you believe some how your tutelage will some how 'change my ideals' or force me to break my code, you are wrong.  The Mist may have been founded on the blood of others, and socially that may be wrong, however you seem blind to the benefits it did provide. Nothing was more flawless in Shinobi law than the previous namesake. Weaker Shinobi were killed and discarded for their dulled blade. As a military, we can't afford to take every life as a military asset. An army of cowards with sticks, will fall to a single unit of shield and sword. You're path is noble, and I respect you for it. However this is reality Lady Solstice, pretending that lives won't be lost and that everyone's life holds the same value or potential, is insulting.  If you had slain me today, would the mist be any weaker? Or do you believe that me, one genin, is the one tactical advantage in battle? If you wish to enlist me in your care, I will not decline an offer that will make me stronger. However, if you wish me to walk the same path as you... Then slay me now. I shall not break my code. I'll die before I allow myself to lose what I hold important." 

His words stuck into her like pins pining at her aggression and now, he was about to see solstice's ugly side. Stepping forward, Solstice tightened her fists, as she began to use the A rank Demon Ice Venom technique. Steam began to rise from her as her skin became cold enough to compare to substances like liquid nitrogen, her Hyouton chakra and her chakra gates opening to release it. Behind her mask she was biting her lip and she was physically stopping herself from backhanding the boy, though, before she exploded forward with unimagionable speed, she instead stopped herself from activating the skill in full. Bursting forward, her fist coile and extending for his arm with all the speed of a sannin.

Should she grip his arm she would step past him and throw him across the surface of the lake, to skim across the water and ragdoll across the land before coming to a halt. Her A rank Taijutsu and her strength would more than likely wound the boy, perhaps even break his arm, but it would be a farcry from killing him... yet. Solstice was still holding back, "YOU IDIOT! She shouted across the terrain as she moved forward step after step.  Here's a lesson in military tactics, BOY, numbers are half the fight, the remainder is training and equipment, if you reduce numbers for training, you're not optimising your force, it's simple mathematics. One extra person, can kill somoene who would have killed three people, potentially, now those three people can potentially do more, and more, and more, and more, it's simple chaos theory. I am trying to train you, so that you can turn the tide, but with this attitude, with this mentality, you are useless. And it is HARD to get on my bad side but i was trying to help you, and you've thrown it in my face!

Solstice was controlling her breathing, walking toward him and ensuring that he could hear her tyrade. Until you drop this STUPID act which you consider the root of power, you will NEVER defeat an opponent, NEVER succeed, NEVER uncover any amount of REAL power. No opponent you fight will ever bow to your tyranny, because that is all you will become, a tyrant. And like every other tyrant who will ever live, it will be people who work together who will destroy you, not because their blades are sharper, but because you simply cannot beat someone who has a cause they will fight and DIE for. And dont even start to think that you're the first who has walked this road, dont you even dare think you're somehow different, because you're not! A hundred thousand ninja have been and gone with that motto breating in their chest who were a hundred times stronger than you! And a hundred thousand people are rotting corpses in shallow graves having WASTED their lives and died with NOTHING, cos that is exactly what they all are... Nothing!

Solstice ended her tyrade, and seemingly retracted her offer of her training, there was nothing she could teach him until he opened his eyes a little to the world around him. She dusted her hands off on her clothes and stood a couple of meters from him, looking down at him, knowing that she had a village, a mother, friends, lives, places and things in her heart that she would protect, and he could sware all the vengeance in the universe in her direction but it would not change a single thing. The warrior who stands alone will die alone, and no-one will mourn his passing, except Solstice, she was mad, but still not heartless, but now it was filled with little but anger, and pity. Like she had failed, or lost something that could have been, which damaged her esteem, and her morale.

She had managed to fight back the several instances she could have and was almost tempted to end his life, from grabbing him, she could have used her demon ice corruption, and frozen him solid with a pulse, and throwing him to watch him shatter. Even without that she could have activated chakra enhanced strength and watched him become little but a trail of gore until it had hit a tree. But she was not going to be known as the jounin who began killing the Genin of kirigakure, that would be a bad look, and something that her mother would be incredibly disappointed in, she stod for justice, but she saw the horror that this child could become, and it scared her almost... like looking into the eyes of Kisame, or Zabusa hundreds of years ago.

Suiton Training 9000/9000