There was nothing quite like the village hidden in the leaves.
The way the towering trees stood like giants, with praising arms reaching for the pristine cerulean blue skies. The way the sun shone through the leaves just right painting dark rimmed marigolds on the swaying blades far down below. It was just the way that even the air itself seemed to sweep through her lightly trembling form like a ghostly hand, raking it's fingers through her lungs and sweeping away the last breaths of Kirigakure scented mist.
So why? This place... with its peace buried snug in it's sky scraping guardians and air so pure it almost hurt to breath. A place where they would accept her born elemental alignment; without judgement or prejudice. If it was so...wonderfully perfect; why did she run  so far and so fast from this powerful place? 
The answer...... a hideous scar beneath her palm. Black. Smouldering like a smudge of tar on ivory like wood


She could turn this place to cinders.


It was sometime in the late evening when Tenmei and her stranger traveling companion had arrived at the land of Konohagakure. 
The crystal clear expanse of sky had faded to a dusk blue-grey while the dancing tree tops clung to the beautiful tangerine of the still setting sun. People calmly rushed to the warmth in their houses, the night time animals started to crawl from their homes, and despite the late passing of time, the breeze was kissed with an unfamiliar warmth.
A silent welcome to the unpredictable duo. 
  It was strange. The last time she had come here, Tenmei was a very different person. She had more scars than skin and the burns and stares were what defined her. She could remember the strong grip of the old man's hand and his shadow mingling with that of the trees. She remembered shrinking down in to both. But what she didn't remember was how mesmerizing this place was.
But despite all the changes and colours, she still remembered where the inn was and the name of the lady that ran it.

Thank goodness.


The next morning... everything changed.
The colours, the lights. The way the shadows felt across her lightly tanned skin. While her companion had gone out to do his own business the special jounin found herself drawn to the tangle of branches and mess of leaves. Following her thoughts until her footsteps were echoing deep in to the dense forest floor. And for just a minute, a small moment she placed a hand against the trunk of one of the taller trees, slowly tracing her fingers down the ancient grains. It was a charred reminder of the reality she lived in. Still, she kept walking, getting further in to the forest, further lost.

Be careful how far you go sweet candle. Remember who you are.


-------


Jiro couldn't believe his eyes when he saw her.
A couple of months ago the young chuunin had made the decision to move away from the village hidden in the mist. It was not at all difficult really. His house had been destroyed in the war, he lost his job, and with all conflict going on he thought it best to move back in with his parents in the seemingly safer village of Konoha. But the last he expected was for the ebony haired female to follow him here.
Of course he not had a problem with the girl personally. She had not bothered him at all and in fact, she had even helped him once... but before he left, the male had seen first hand what utter devastation she was capable of in a swamp like forest. Let alone one that wasn't moistened by the heavy blanket of mist.

So, quietly, the young chuunin known as Jiro headed over to the Hokage's office and politely knocked on the door, waiting patiently for the answer that would allow him entrance. Once inside, he would bow low and... with his strongest voice make his report.

"Lord Kage" he started by saying, swallowing the lump that was slowly growing in his throat
"The two Shinobi that arrived from Kirikagure last night. The girl actually... I knew her when I was living in Kiri. She has... well. She burned down a large portion of the forest there. Me.. and some others are concerned that the same event might happen here. Especially since there are rumours that she is quite... unstable. I do not mean to trouble you Lord Kage. It's just.. after the reports of the incident that happened upon her leaving and from what I know. I... we ask that we be cautious around her"

With his words falling away to nerves, he stood back with his head down, waiting for the answer or the permission to leave.
He has said his part, so at least, if anything were to happen. His conscious would be clear. His selfishness would remain intact for now.

All that was left to do... was wait and see.

-------------
Words: 867

Sousetsu resided within his quarters in the Hokage mansion. The sounds of scribbled writing filled the silence that traveled with the air that was so pure and fresh. Behind the desk, sat Sousetsu. Behind him, an open window allowing the breeze to brush upon the back of his neck. His hair shone with silver in the suns rays, glistening and waving frantically with each new breeze that rolled in. His face was contempt, stern, focused, as he read the sheets of paper before him. He analysed every matter in question, the pros and the cons, and it appeared none escaped his eye. The scribbling continued as he signed with a clenched jaw and a firm grip on his pen. A slight itch crept up on the side of his face which was soon rid off with a scratch from his right hand. It was at this moment he decided to look up at the two who accompanied him. They seemed to admire him, looking at him with awe yet, concerned for his well-being.

"My apologies." he spoke with his stoic presence. "Should we take a break?" he asked. Without an answer, the two secretaries nodded in approval before bowing formally before him.

He let out a rather large sigh before giving out a playful giggle. "I told you to speak up. You know I lose track of time."

The two apologized before bowing once more. "It's still impressive to watch you, Lord Hokage" they smiled forcefully.

"Take an extended break, treat yourselves to the hot-springs or a nice meal." he smiled back seeking forgiveness. With their thanks again, they took off. With a flick of his wrist, the stiff bones loosened up as he continued its spiraling fashion. He let out another sigh but with remorse. Was he overworking? He certainly did not want others to speak ill of him and his conditions within the workplace. His jaw bit down once more as he thought further into what his colleagues thought. He wanted to be a benevolent leader of course, one that they could come to with any problems but as of late, he was seen as a somewhat workaholic. His hand rubbed across his face to try and rid himself of any fatigue, thinking this way certainly would do that.

He looked over to the corner of the room. His shining blue metal-plated armour rested upon its perch. Every so often he would glance at it and it saddened him to see it gather dust as time passed him by. It was a remembrance of who he was. The distinctive white fur collar showed its individuality on the battlefield, allowing others to find or steer clear from the Azure Beast. It was emblazoned with the Senju insignia, serving his name its honor also. On the wall above his armour lay his katana. His prized possession given to him by his clan. These two were not an eyesore as it was lay out almost like a shrine, but to Sousetsu, these were his treasures. He grinned his infamous grin. It was nostalgic above all. The battles fought, the time spent training, it all led him here fulfilling his goal. It was only right to have them by his side in his new position.

He sat back in chair and stretched his legs outwards so that he could have the well-deserved break along with his colleagues. Before long, he drifted off into a sleep. Three knocks were heard. They were gentle. His eyes shot open however, he did not wish to be seen sleeping by his desk and so collected himself accordingly. He ordered the visitor the enter once he was ready and so the man complied from the other side of the door. The man appeared frantic, swallowing wholesome before continuing the formalities of bowing and stating his reasons for his intrusion. Sousetsu was not angry but willing to hear what he had to offer. He spoke of the two visitors who arrived in the village prior to this day. One of which was a woman he was well acquainted with. He fumbled his lines with his heavy breathing and nerves but finally the answer to his arrival had come. This woman he spoke of had set fires to the forests of the surrounding areas and was told to be 'unstable.' With his small grin, he stood from where he sat and nodded.

"I shall go and see to it that this does not happen again. There is no need to worry, just tell the others I will be away for some time." he grinned once more before turning his attention to his armour and blade. Together again it seemed. With his ensemble fitted, and the Hokage's coat to accompany him with its mighty blue flames as opposed to its traditional red, he set on his way. His speed was really something at this point. It was something he had honed from an early age and still continued to further to this day. He soon found himself on the branches of the trees, leaping from one to another with a great pace and rhythm. The rustling of the leaves were silent as they brushed past him and seemed to take quite some time to travel to the ground as he was already out of sight to see them reach their journey.

He knew what he was looking for. A dense part of the forest and a woman who was not fitted with a leaf headband. She would certainly catch his attention as he knew most of the village by now. With a  sudden halt, he leaped to the ground below. A tree stump that was familiar to him and footprints in the grass that was not. He seemed to be travelling in the right direction and now he had a trail. The tracks were still fresh as the blades of grass had not yet reached its proper standing point. He vanished once more. Hastily making his way from branch to branch once again while glancing at the earth beneath him from time to time, he soon found the woman in question. Ebony hair, and a dark outfit. A stranger to him nonetheless. With another exertion of speed he found himself a few meters behind the woman, finally to greet her.

"Pardon my intrusion. Are you from the Village Hidden in the Mist?" he asked as he walked gradually towards her with an arm quite unsure if it should be reaching out to her or not for attention.

It seemed his search came to an end as he found the woman he had sought. She was the woman that the nervous man had warned him of and now he stood before her. She was under his watch now, the responsibilities of her actions were also now his. He nodded before her, almost like a bow to show his sign of respect. His eyes glanced to the various wounds that she had suffered. Past stories etched into her skin for all to read. The heat of a flame that burned bright had torn her once smooth complexion. He looked back into her eyes, meeting them and revealing his sympathy without words. He swallowed with a tight jaw, unaware of the damage and despair she was capable of.

But she could not burn him. He was a man who held the ocean in his grasp.

Similar to the fires she conjured, the cold waters could also show no mercy. Both elements could torture their victims in their own way. The polar opposites actually had a lot in common; leaving their opponents with troubled breathing, engulfed in their essence and wishing for others to pull them away from their stranglehold. The only difference was, the fires would remain on her disfigured skin. The water could only leave the skin wrinkled for a short time when exposed to it, their bodies feeling heavier the longer they soaked in its density. Which was more overwhelming to endure? The flames that feed on the oxygen from your breath, warming your body with excessive heat as if it were to dry you out of any liquid your body contained, or the waters that swallowed you whole, burdening you with no source of air to begin with. Both left you with fear and isolation from the rest of the world.

The Hokage closed his eyes once more, dwelling on his own history and wondered if the woman before him had suffered the same. Maybe she had suffered more. She was told to be unstable while Sousetsu was head of a village. It seemed that they were indeed opposites.

"Intrusion? I think you may have the roles around the wrong way."

His eyes darted open as she responded to turn his attention to her. Her hand fell to her side and began caressing her blade. Was she that unstable that she was willing to fight with him?

"What can I do for you... Lord Hokage?"

Hesitation. It reminded him too much of his past opponents. They hesitated and failed to take his life. Their flames flickered, but  this woman still burned with a warm hue. Her black hair and outfit, like coal. Her blade that was unfamiliar to the Senju, unique, a different spark from a different fire. In any condition concerning mental health, it had to be approached with caution. It had to be dealt with with absolute care. Fighting would not solve anything here, he knew that. But did she?

"May I accompany you?" he asked. His arms fell to his side also, but his blade remained untouched at his lower back.

"I have heard of your history here. Care to explain?" Being delicate with a kunoichi such as her would show weakness and possibly feed her primal urge of dominance. He had to be forward. Unlike others who would show hostility, fear, or hesitation, towards this woman, he confronted with an opportunity to explain her actions. He wanted to know what had happened. Where the root of the problem lay. Any subtle hints or clues as to what sparked her fires from that time. The fires would not happen again, the forest was also under his protection now. He had grew up in wooded areas such as this. Trained for days on end. Letting the forest be set ablaze would be the equivalent of allowing his own home to be engulfed also. This was his home away from home. The nights could be harsh, but this night would soon show its beauty with stars in the sky and a beautifully composed orchestra of the sounds of wildlife. The insects would use mating calls, harmonizing with one another while the wolves howled in their packs. The coursing waters would continue to crash on the riverbanks with clean and clear sounds thanks to its isolation from the noise of the active daytime. It was serene and tranquil at night. Maybe the two could see this night ahead? Maybe her mind would come to ease along with his? Maybe.

The woman before him had shown no hints of movement but he had still noted that her hand still lay rested upon her blades hilt. Her eyes seemed to analyze his figure, watching for any sudden movements also he thought. Her mind was not something that could be read easily as he was not sure how 'unstable' she really was, even standing before him. What was she thinking of? Was the appearance of the Hokage that threatening to her? Of course, it did mean that he came personally to solve an issue, but he was clear about his intentions. He only wanted to know her side of the story. Could she be thinking too much into this? Soon enough, her expression released a harsher smile as she approached the Hokage. His neck tensed, stiffening as he raised his head slightly and watching her every move with more care.

"Let's see... the last time I was here..." she began to explain.

She spoke of years some time ago where she traveled with a merchant. Her contact with a tree began the entire ordeal. "...I touched one of the trees... just brushed up against it with my hand... like this. And it started to smolder..." Sousetsu watched as she brushed against the tree as she once did, mimicking the story. It was the truth, her voice showed no signs of a lie. There were no quivering lips or hesitation of any sort. She was speaking from memory alone. Sousetsu swallowed and clenched his jaw once more as the hand lifted to reveal a charred hand imprinted on the bark of the tree. His eyes darted from the blackened area to her blade once more before back to meeting her eyes. She was not afraid. He could not tell if she held regret either. She spoke of 'six spot fires in five different places' that day, and nothing could have been done to prevent it. She watched as the area burned. The ground beneath grew black much like the hand on the tree and the leaves turned to a golden crisp.

'A jutsu?' he thought to himself as he watched the kunoichi incinerate anything within her area. If it was, the charred outlines marked the distance and the intensity of the heat traveled, but not only that, he now knew that she was in full control of the powers she had back then.

She continued to speak, telling the story of her own exile as she banished herself and leaving another burning forest to engrave her memory for others to see. They spoke of her like a plague, trying to maintain her, but she had made her decision. She seems to wander the lands now, searching for something, a home perhaps? He did not know her well enough but it seemed to be well hidden if she was a thief or a villain in other ways. Sousetsu tilted his head forward as a recent memory returned to him. He experienced this type of individual before. Mikage. A young girl who seemed to have no home, forcing herself to live in exile. She attacked others but her reasoning was still unclear. Maybe the woman before him lived a similar life? She seemed to have no-one to call a comrade, or a friend. Maybe she needed to hear the same words he had given Mikage. Something she had not heard in some time. Before he could, her body shifted before him. His attention bounced back to her, watching her movements and readying himself to keep his distance in case of becoming within reach of her apparent jutsu. His eyes raised slightly however as he found her in a defensive stance.

"And there you have it. Is there anything else you wanted to ask me? Or did you just come all the way out here to question me about something you already know about?" she asked with such heated words.

Sousetsu inhaled deeply before moving towards the tree that had been marked. His eyes never left the woman's as his hand found its way to the hand imprinted into the bark, covering it with own. As the chakra was being released into the tree, his eyes gave off a hint of a pained feeling. One laced with regret for her, wondering why it happened to her, why she was alone, like Mikage. His hand returned to its side as he returned the tree to its former glory, as if it was left undisturbed this entire time. He glanced to her feet once more to find the area of effect from the heat had increased. He exhaled deeply, almost sighing. Maybe she could use the same words that he had given Mikage. He nodded, accepting the proposal to ask another question before moving closer to her, closer than anyone would have. He was just before the charred grass beneath her when he looked into her eyes with sincerity.

"I only came here to hear your side of the story..." he spoke with endearment. The Senju gave a moment for the woman to collect her thoughts. He continued to breathe, as calmly as he could, still looking at her with curious yet intriguing intent.

"...Are you okay?" he finally asked.

Quietly tense. Unsure and steady. With secretly piqued curiosity, the female watched with careful attention as the Hokage slowly... slowly stepped around her circumference to the tree she had marked barely a moment ago, before gently placing his hand over the charred scarring. Palm flush against the trunk as if somehow, that one, gentle handed gesture would console the towering life force. But then... but then something happened. She could feel something happen.
A hint of chakra in the air. A slight change in his eyes. A different tension brewing inside the moment. Between his fingers, Tenmei Sotsuji watched in still silence as the tree fibers started to knit themselves back together. Repairing. Regrowing. Rejuvenating once again until the black marring had completely vanished. It was gone. Erased. Disappearing like her identity had never been imprinted on the dry wood surface in the first place.

What he just did. That minor miracle. It had been such a simple motion. Healing. Caring. Over in seconds. The female had never seen a technique like it. But for some reason. Some lingering anxious reason, it spurred a different feeling inside. Not a relief that the forest would be safe from her uncontrolled rage, nor happy that the fragment of nature had been healed. The special jounin... was angry. Hands balled to fists, heat reaching through it's limits, eyes shining with a coal like crimson. The special jounin was growing increasingly, more frustrated.


He never looked away.

And neither did she


But this time, things were different.

The first time the young female had faced someone like him; was when she met that enigmatic traveling partner of hers.
He had no name back then. No expression to read. No face. Even as the younger nin confronted him with all the simmering rage of a smouldering volcano; The masked shinobi just stood there, statuesque, with his steady techniques and quiet demeanor. The ash still sense of calm that Tenmei had found utterly terrifying. Who were these people? What was this control that they had? The way that stranger had stood there watching the Sotsuji burn through the bones of the cowardly boy before turning the spitting fire towards him. The way this kage just looked at her with readiness in his wondering eyes as her identity threatened his home. The way these people... these creatures could so easily, perfectly perform that control when even now she fought back the rising lava that pushed painfully against her veins. It was undeniably frightening. But this time, Tenmei Sotsuji, would not give them them the satisfaction of seeing her like that. This time she was in control

But you can't hold it back forever though.
You know what happens when you do.

Of course she knew.

Even as he moved around her, spoke to her softly; the girl's stance never changed. With those fearless fire ruby eyes. Lightly scorched skin. With those venomous words still casting echoes, she simply watched with a ready tension as he finished healing the base of the tree and turned back to her. Anew question forming on his lips.
"I only came here to hear your side of the story..." he had started gently.  "...Are you okay?"

....

Shock. Confusion. Disbelief. Conflict.
Tinctures of fear and traces of sadness.

A myriad of emotions flickered across her stern creased features like a dwindling candle flare. Dancing from one to the other. Wavering. Failing. It was like someone had flicked off a switch somewhere inside. Causing her stone strong stance, the perfectly placed facade; to shatter like brittle glass at his feet.
Who was he? What was it about these creatures that could stay her words and fuel her fire. What was it about them that they could take apart what she worked so hard to become and look at her as if they were sorry they had. It was frustrating. Maddening. She wanted to turn them all to cinders and yet... and yet she always held back. Always a pause. A moment's hesitation. A strike that didn't fly true.
Maybe because somewhere... deep down. Beneath the mask and concerned eyes; they reminded Tenmei of her.

"Am I... okay?" the special jounin repeated after a long moment.
"All my friends are gone. People who swore to always be around left without so much as a goodbye and haven't come back. Masanori died right on top of me, while trying to save me during the seven bells attack. Izanami killed himself because I couldn't stop Ukiyo from stealing his eyes. Kichirou hates me, my best friend and sister betrayed me. The only family I have left exploded right beside me, leaving me looking like this. I have no home, no one I can trust. But yes, Lord Hokage. I am okay"

This. Now

It was just like before.


There was no hesitation in the broken voice. No trembling or sweating. She had told herself that lie so many times now that it was starting to feel real. Did she miss them? Did she miss home? Did Tenmei wish this twist in fate had never happened? She wouldn't say it. The tears that burned at the back of her eyes and the lump that swiped away her words, The occasional glance back away from this path was all the answer this world would get.


"Now let me ask you a question" would finally continue to say.
"Did you really just come here asking for my side of the story? Or did you just not believe the child? You have your answer. Everything he said was true.

So what are you planning on doing now?"

---
Words: 951
Total: 3577

Chakra: 225/250:

His eyes caught every twitch, every emotion that trickled across the face of the wanderer before him. His jaw was loosening as the question continued to reveal that it was not asked as often as it should. The heat reflected her emotions, seeking to give a warm welcome to any who may venture into the depths of Tenmei. Sousetsu was one of those who would dare to venture forth and witness the ashes that surrounded her, for he was not afraid to get burned. He couldn't be burned, for the flames would be extinguished by the man who stole the ocean and embraced its coursing waters to pave his way. Like Mikage before, these words that he shared with his own emotions laced around each letter sought the right individual that needed them. Although simple, they still held the concern that he sought unknowingly. Or so he thought. Sousetsu had no reason to be afraid, or rather, he could not be afraid. Showing fear in a position such as his was something that affected everyone around him. Everyone he gave his word that his life would forever be on the line for them. The title 'Hokage' was not for show but a representation of the one who was willing to sacrifice his very life to protect those under him. It was then, with a small exhale and looking at the young woman that he finally saw what Mitsuhide meant. The title 'Hokage' may have been for the Village Hidden in the Leaves, but he represented the village regardless where he went. He was showing sympathy to a ninja he had just met, not from this village, and a past that was unforgiving to some. But there he was. Listening to the woman and helped carry her sadness with empathy. All of this from a few simple words.

"Am I... okay?" she finally spoke

"All my friends are gone...." her story began. Being a ninja, they were expected to lose those who were close to them but none of them ever believe they will. The Senju knew this too well. He had lost many during the path to becoming Hokage. His family, his friends, even his students. She continued to speak of someone who he was a stranger to. A man by the name of Masanori who had died over her own body during the famous Seven Bells attack. He had never experienced a comrade die on top of him. He could not empathize with that, and he wouldn't so long as he could prevent it.

"Izanami killed himself because I couldn't stop Ukiyo..."

His ears twitched and his head cocked upright. Shivers scattered down his spine as the hairs on his body seemed to stand within a moments notice. His eyes widened and his jaw began to slowly fall. That name. The name that haunted his dreams. The dreams became nightmares and the they soon became his great depression. He left the village some time ago because of that particular kunoichi. She was the reason why he continues to question his abilities. She reduced the leader of a clan to forsake them, deeming himself unfit and began his search for the crystal user that had killed the previous Hokage in order to redeem that privilege of being known as a leader. His search was in vain as he never found that shinobi and so returned, only to find another kunoichi who had helped him carry his burdens. Her kindness may have saved his life, after all, what could an ill-willed ninja with no determination do? His hands began to slowly form fists, veins began to reveal themselves as they now pushed against his skin. The Senju that that got away because of Sousetsu had also hurt others it seemed. Was he still to blame?

"Kichirou hates me..." his mouth closed once more. He had a student with that same name. His previous thoughts of Ukiyo seemed to wash away but remains still lingered. He was calm, but he wondered if that Kichirou was the same and that he was doing well despite his apparent hatred towards the young woman before him. He was still his past student. It seems that Tenmei had met people that came from the Hokage and for that alone, he could not help but feel partially responsible. Regret sank to the bottom of his heart while sorrow filled the rest. His eyes was beginning to show the same expressions that the kunoichi had revealed previously.

"But yes, Lord Hokage. I am okay." her short story ended but he knew some characters involved and they told him a thousand more words. He dared to look to the side, still attempting to look strong even after the sudden shock of the people they shared. His jaw tightened once again with teeth coming to a grind. He closed his eyes briefly in an attempt to hide the regret and hint of shame before looking back into her eyes once more. She wanted to ask another question. He simply nodded with another stern expression, washing away the past and preparing himself once again for the present.

"Did you really just come here asking for my side of the story? Or did you just not believe the child? You have your answer. Everything he said was true.

So what are you planning on doing now?"

Sousetsu closed his eyes once more and let the air rush into his nostrils to fill his lungs as much as possible before an exhale to match. He looked down to the woman's blade, it remained in its place. It slept next to the warm fires that the woman provided. It must have been comforting to be a blade not yet worn and ready to fulfill its purpose. A tool used for taking the lives of others. It did not have to think, it held no emotions, it simply walked with death hand in hand.

"You knew Ukiyo..." he stalled as he reminded himself once more and looked intensely into her eyes as he did before. It showed the pain he endured, the suffering, the man who witnessed true betrayal.

"I did come to hear your story and now I know the path you are walking. It is similar to the one I used to walk. The harsh winters, the winding roads that we are unsure where it leads, the nature we see from a darker side... It is curious yet it makes us who we are in the end." he spoke from experience. He slowly stepped back and with each new step his hand drew closer to the blade that resided across his lower back. He was cautious, careful in withdrawing, allowing her to see his movements so that she would not rush him but rather mimic him with the same cautious mind. With his blade in hand and five metres between them, he tightened his grasp.

"I was the Senju Clan leader some time ago. Ukiyo was...deceptive. I discovered that during a spar that she had arranged for me. It never was a spar, it was where she planned to kill me. It was then that I understood that in combat, we can learn more from one another." he spoke calmly, clearly, and with that same stern and stoic voice that made him the man he was this day.

"Let me see what it is you are fighting for."

There was fire, a burning desire that waited for her warm embrace at the end of her journey ahead. Like a roaring flame her history blindsided her from every angle with new challenges and a constant sorrow that the charred memories etched in her brain reminded her of each day. She refused to believe that the two walked the same path. Sousetsu's memories were not charred like the tree that he could so easily restore, they sank deep within him. Each memory gasped for air as they resurfaced but they seemed to be out of reach for the Senju. He could not help those who needed his aid. It seems the raft that Sousetsu resided upon just circled the vicious cycle, displaying those who he failed to reach and allowed him to watch as they struggled to stay afloat as the raft was being carried by the current set on a path beyond them. They were the beacons on his path, but did that mean their deaths were necessary?

The two stood before each other, but their intense backgrounds seemed to clash. Coursing waves that crashed against the riverbanks with only Sousetsu seizing control, walking among it with little to no intentions of him being carried away, against a woman engulfed by the flames that continued to spread along the path of which she must take. Either way, they were both swallowed whole by that which bound them. She had spoken of only one being able to take her path as the fire would only allow that. Was it the same for the Senju? Could this man alone harness the ocean within his grasp if his life continued the way it was? What the current Hokage always seemed to miss was the fact that he was not only bound by the ocean, but life itself. He had the ability to control the vegetation within the waters. The trees and vines were his rebound if the water proved too much. He held the power to control both that made the world one. The woman before him held the power to destroy part of this however, so the waters would have to run true this day.

With his blade firmly in his grasp and a balanced stance, the young kunoichi displayed her harmony with the fire within her. Her leg seemed to carry the flames and roar out to the Senju, reaching out to him to show him the path that she walked and that it was only meant for her. The heat was rising still, he very nature of the woman showed him that as they now began their fight. Maybe the path she walked really was meant for her alone. The charred hand print among the tree and the grass beneath her revealed the heat she possessed.

'I can't allow her to get close...' he thought to himself as he gathered his first piece of information on the young kunoichi from his observation earlier.

He had to attack from a distance and there were no signs of another affinity associated with her for the time being. It was solely meant to burn her opponents it seemed. She spoke earlier of her attack on Ukiyo, the female Senju who had once betrayed him. She got close enough to scar her for life. It was then that Sousetsu could confirm that the coursing waters would fight alongside him this day, with this opponent.

He leaped back and placed his left hand beside his cheek with a hand seal of its own, his blade was prepared with the other. Water gushed from his mouth like a waterfall seeking its target in a swift coursing action. It was then that the Hokage had seen the woman attempt to follow through with her assault, following the trail of fire to attack with a blade of her own. Within a short moment, he kicked off the ground once more but did not soar through the air, instead a stream of water emerged and surrounded his feet, allowing him to 'surf' on the land they stood upon. He was carried backwards, still watching his opponent pursue him. He sheathed his blade. He wouldn't need it, he couldn't get close enough, not yet. A series of hand seals hastily formed shortly after.

"Suiton: Mizuma no Jutsu!"

Four great horses with a rather large size and width, titans to the common horse, emerged from the earth also and charged towards their opponent. They did not let their voice be heard, instead the sound was like that of a waterfall in its place. They took great strides, rushing their opponent and allowing the Senju to gain his distance further. Like the fires that swallowed her, the waters swallowed him. The earth was both charred and wet with the collision of elements from the two in a battle revealing their own histories.

Chakra: 320/370

jutsu:

The subtle shifting of weight against her stably grounded foot. The effortlessly balanced swing of the wide reaching kick. The white hot rolling cloud, roaring thunder as it tore unhindered towards him. Wicked. Fast. Fierce. Ferocious. Every inch of effort she used to push off the ground and sprint towards him. Every granule of power she put behind the swing of her burning sharp blade; Every single slight movement was  eloquently executed without pause. Without  hesitation... Without a doubt things were different this time.
Every fight she had before had been purely driven by anger. The unbridled fury at the mask faced stranger who wouldn't show her fear. The searing rage at the people that stole her friends away. She was always so damn frustrated at the world but this time: she wasn't just angry. No. Instead, Tenmei also had something to prove. He asked her to prove what she was fighting for. And... well. Tenmei Sotsuji was going to show him. And this time she wasn't going to hold back


But it wasn't enough.


Exposed soles skimming the summer burnt ground. Lungs grabbing at the silver tendrils of smoke. As if that heated cloud could spur her faster, the female took off after the carnation painted flames, her coal black blades homing in with speed on their challenging target.
But no sooner had she breached three steps closer, something caught her attention up ahead. Something had disrupted the attack in a vicious display of hissing steam and boiled water. It was a smart move using such a perfectly opposing force to break apart the fire's flare. But this wasn't enough to slow her momentum. Ducking around the mass of fire and water, Tenmei continued to approach, getting closer and closer.... and closer until she was near enough to smell the sweetly acrid scent of material starting to smoulder... when once again, he used the water at his feet to skid backwards out of her reach. Out of the way and out of danger.

Look at him Tenmei. Running away like a coward. Make him pay. Light him up and see how good his suiton is when he is drowning on fire.

He will....

Before she had the chance to comply to the silently whispered words; out of the shallow watery ground came four mighty equine like life forms. Large, monstrous creatures whose footsteps roared with the sound of waterfalls and moved with the force of the ocean.
The very moment the semi solid entities had become whole, that force started to gallop with purpose towards the special jounin. Honing on her location as she had done with him. But Tenmei wasn't so ready to disappoint. Not this time. Instead of running from the creatures, the special jounin tensed and ran straight for the small stampede. Blades ready with only a steam trail to hint at her plans.
But moments...second before the first one collided with her slight form, she suddenly twisted, crouched, and using the slippery water logged ground, skidded underneath and between their legs with her knife tearing through it's underbelly. After she got to the side, it would just be a matter of straightening and standing once more. Continuing the footsteps as soon as the skid had halted.

If only if things had gone that perfect.

She had not felt it at first.  Adrenalin pumping through her veins. Thunder pounding in her ears. As the ebony haired female slid through the horses legs, one of the hooves had clipped her back leg on the way out, causing her skid to ever so slightly slide sideways where she stopped by a nearby tree. The trunk exploding in to cinders under the sudden impact. But this was not enough to keep the female down. Silently biting down pain from a newly made bruise, Tenmei quickly straightened herself up and shook away the charcoal splinters off from the folds of her clothes. That was a miscalculation and she paid for it. But it would not happen again. She would disappoint him again.

No. You wont. Be better next time.

Right.

Standing away from the shattered tree , the Sotsuji took the time to take a deep... slow... breath. Feeling her Chakra build insider her. Spreading, growing, leeching through her muscles, crawling under her skin. Right until she felt like it was going to tear her flesh from her bones. But then.... with the next breath she simply.... let it go. Tenmei released  that built up chakra in one perfect beautiful rolling release from her third eye to her ankles. Creating a cloak of pure heat so potent that it ignited the air around her in a spectacular array of tangerine red and white. Here. Now. With her true nature swaying gently around her shoulders, she almost dared him to send those horses after her again. Dared him to come closer. To provoke her. To fight... it was too late. She had  allowed the male enough time. With her clan knife in each hand she slowly started to creep towards him.

One. Two. Three steps later she came at him for a second time but with just as much ferocity as the first.
Through the ankle deep puddles across charred grass and steam, Tenmei once again aimed one knife to bite in to his side; the other pausing a second to come for his shoulder. At the same time she readied her footing so the moment that second hit was put in to motion, the female was readying another kick that would hopefully grant him the same injury as she had received from him. Penance. Justice.

No. She was wrong. It wasn't just about anger and proving her worth to the Hokage. It was about proving to him that she wasn't the disappointment she was as a child. He wanted her to let go... to burn bright and strong. And that is exactly what she would do. She would not hold back anything and blind them with the burning power she kept inside.

Don't fail me my little candle.
Show them who you really are

Promise.

-----

Words: 1030
Total: 5515

Chakra: 175/250:

The stampeding rivers coursed towards their target as the Senju continued flowing with the stream of water that carried him further backwards. To his surprise, the opposing force of heated momentum led by the Mist kunoichi etched her way in fluent motion. Like a fire waiting to be fed, she had begun to slide under the water with the damp surface caused by the Hokage's previous actions. During her short journey, she managed to cross her blade into the underbelly of one of the beasts. There was elegant beauty seeing her fiery efforts coincide with trickling waters that sprung into the air, like dew on the grass on a spring morning. Her efforts were interrupted however, by the hind leg of one of the water beasts that connected with her own and causing her to course to go awry in the heat of the moment, leading her to a nearby tree before it hastily burned with the intense heat that she emitted and caused sparkling cinders to emerge from its new found wooden food source.

'The heat continues to rise it seems...' Sousetsu deducted from the distance of the tree to her own position.

The tree left hints of amber and ash that lingered on its body and scorching the bark that resided upon it. Nothing but cinders and smoke would be left in this rather large forest if his presence was nowhere to be seen in this woodland wonderland. The Senju halted his actions as the woman did, mimicking her pace as he allowed her to do so to him previously to begin the onslaught. Her breath was deep, as if the fires had finally gotten the better of her and filling her lungs with the toxic air that it created. It was slow and well-paced in order for her to fully benefit the quality of a fresh beginning. A beginning to her next assault.

It was then that she glowed with a vibrant and warm hue, the type of shade that one would reach to on a cold and dark night as they would seek comfort. A hue fitting for a home on a rainy day or the snowy winters that we come to crave and adore. But this was not welcoming to the Senju. With a blade within her grasp once more with a firm authority behind it, the fires were soon spreading towards him. As he stood with rushing waters beneath his feet he watched as the figure created ashes in place of her own. She only brought destruction in an unforgiving way. She wanted to share her own scars left by a searing, scorching heat that the sun could only see as a mercy giving.

With a wave of his arm in a peculiar fashion she grew ever closer and attempted to strike at his side. The stream beneath him carried his body from harms way in a radius outside of the scorched earth that surrounded her. She hastily continued her combination of strikes once more with another attempt to his opposite shoulder. As her arm approached his own, the heat seemed to grow more intense the closer it got which caused Sousetsu edge backwards to maintain the distance he felt safer within.

It occurred to the Hokage that the passion that roared with her flames could possibly tell him the reasons he needed to determine her true state of mind. But so far he could not. Her mind was unclear, a smoke-filled room with no sign of sustainable life. It was almost as if her judgement was not her own, merely fighting as one would if ordered to. A true shinobi, or a weapon within their owners grasp. This fight was too early to decipher with a foreign shinobi as his own had a few common traits. Her stories, her memories, a road that wreaked havoc from whence she came and continues to do so as she walked down the trail of ashes that her passion scattered for her.

His eyes twitched, darting towards her leg that was already underway to greet the man who stole the ocean. It was then that he   mustered his speed to its extent to race around her with little movement from himself, but the stream that had been moving him before. In a brief moment, he had already arrived by the beasts that he had summoned earlier as they raced past him. The wave he had gestured earlier was their calling, they no longer raced together but as individual and graceful creatures that they mimed. One crashed into the tree that the cinders infested, cooling the amber remains. The other three ran past the Hokage as they homed in for their target for the counter attack he had devised as she closed in.

The onyx hot blade that skimmed past his cloak as he effortlessly glided beyond her reach. The calculated step back to ensure safety within that little added distance. The terrifying patience in which he stood back to watch her erratic decisions. Even though there was no mistake in her stone stable balance or her perilously precise attacks. Even though there was no flaws in her strongly flaring momentum; the water... the earth beneath his feet would whisk him away with a subtle finesse every time the female drew close. As if the elements themselves were intent on keeping him from her embrace.
But she could see it now. He was right. He knew better and now she could see it too. His flaring speed. The wind fast agility. Like watching a theater play from the edge of a stage, it didn't matter how fast or how far she reached for him he would always dance away from her fingers. Just like that time before. With that masked stranger. With Binsu. But there was one difference. One important difference. Her new companion had not wanted the fight. But the Hokage was the one who challenged her.  So what was he playing at?
Whatever it was. Tenmei Sotsuji had enough.

Watch out!

The hesitation only lasted as long as the words did.
No sooner had those whispers faded to the sound of stampeding waves, the female turned to see the rogue stallions roaring towards her once more but this time, there was no perfected formation. No line charging at her. No pattern. They came at her like the wild animals they resembled... and there was no slipping beneath their attacks like she had done the previous time. No. Instead the female turned, pushed off and ran up the the trunk of the nearest, still standing tree. Her bare feet charring the rough bark with every step towards the sky. Then, with barely seconds to spare, she wrapped her hands around two larger branches towards the top: just as three horses which were maybe still pursuing her; would crash in to the base of the tree. Crushing it from different sides with enough force to shatter it's base.

But Tenmei was fast. She was ready. Before she could get caught in another whirl wind of splinters and debris... before the water droplets could catch her skin, the female pushed off for a second time. Flipping easily in to the air with the gnarled, burning branches still in hand. Finally... with a spin for momentum, she threw both flaming pieces of wood like spears to the ground behind him while landing before him in a cloud of steam and a stare like fire.

 Let him hear


 That's enough
"That's enough"

You send your horses and run around
"You send your horses and run around"

 You wanted a fight, coward. So fight. Or else I will....
"You wanted a fight, coward. So fight. Or else I will...."


A moment's pause. A slight hesitation. An uneasy glance to the left.
What could she do? What could she possibly do to him... to this place that she had not done before? Partially burn down a forest? Hurt a couple innocent not so innocent bystanders? Let in a mass murder war lord to create mass destruction inside strong walls, killing strangers and friends alike? She had already done that and seemingly got away with it. So what was left? What offenses could she add to her.... No.
The thought was discarded with a shake of her head before it even surfaced. She may have been a living raw edged flame leaving tender strawberry burns on whoever she got close to. But Tenmei Sotsuji was no flaming cyclone. She could not do... she wouldn't.


You know you are capable. You will mean it when you say it.
Say it little candle. SAY IT!

"Fight me or I will turn my flames towards the people in your village"

That was it. With a deep breath, Tenmei gathered her chakra and gripped her blades in her hands one more time. With the fire burning three quarters down those branches, she dashed forwards towards his left, one blade plunging towards his ribs while her right foot kicked out towards his stomach, following all the strength, power, speed.... momentum she could throw at him. This game of cat and mouse was over. She was done chasing a stream that was only going to slip through her fingers over and over again.  He was right. He had to be right. The Lord Hokage Sousetsu Senju wanted a fight. Instead he was wasting the special jounin's time. If he didn't live up to his end up of the challenge, then she would...she would have to take her aggression else where. This play was about to reach it's climax and it was time for her to enter center stage.

Don't disappoint me again.

------
Words: 832

Total: 6347

Flaming branches reached the vicinity of the Hokage, cutting off his rear so that he may face the woman whom he had challenged in order to understand with a more intimate view. The art of war could tell the Senju the mindset of the opponent as it had done so before, only this time it came to him without any sudden warning.

"That's enough." she exclaimed.

"You send your horses and run around," she continued. Her expressions led the Hokage to believe that his actions had irritated and mocked her as the attempts on his person were distinguished before them. It was true. The man who seemed to rule over the ocean waters could seemed to have a counter attack on each fiery ability that was sent his way. He often thought  that fire would be the element that most would suspect to be his downfall as he was a Senju. The Senju were known for their specialties in the wood element, but even now, Sousetsu knew that. He couldn't rely on such a weakness to be so open to the many shinobi that crossed the lands and possibly crossing his path.

"You wanted a fight, coward. So fight. Or else I will...." she hesitated. Was this a threat? To the leader of a village, words must be spoken accordingly and within reason. No insults or misdemeanors were to be tolerated within their presence, yet this woman before him spoke from deep within. A fiery passion was one of the components involved with the concoction of her fighting style and it seemed that Sousetsu had upset a balance somewhere within the mix. A shaken head from the mistress caught the eye of the higher up that resided within the village hidden in the leaves. Something was wrong. He could not direct his suspicions to a certain area, but he knew that this woman was elegant and intelligent from the battle so far.

"Fight me or I will turn my flames towards the people in your village!"

Time began to shudder. Almost as if time stood between, Sousetsu's mouth slowly dropped as his guard was also let down in that brief instant. What was once a test of wits and strength, changed to a drastic and uncalled method in response to his counter strategies. Not knowing where to look, the Senju finally decided to focus on the target with close inspection. Her posture was the same as before, yet her mind was not. It seemed very puzzling to the leader of Konahagukure at that current moment in time but he was still determined to analyze the very nature of the person before him.

He could not howevern, ignore that statement. Did she really mean it? If the Hokage refused to show his full might, would she go after the village that he grew and learned to love so much? All those years, the missions, the people, the friends he made, the Hokage's who sought the same goals of allowing the village to flourish before him. Would all that go to waste over a spar that he had instigated? With teeth now grinding, caressing the previous and those next to them, his rage began to increase over the small time that the silence had allowed. The mist village's ninja gripped her blades tightly as the fires from the branches continued to trickle down the oak tree behind her, she charged, attempting her assault once again. It was then that the Senju finally begun to realize;

'Her judgments do not seem to be her own... Her fluent motions determine grace, comfort, lack of hesitation. It is alarming against a foe who is held in such high regards to act in such a way.'

The Hokage's gritted teeth and thoughts seemed to go hand in hand at this point as he leaped to his own conclusions and out of the way of her initial attack once more. It was as he stepped out of harms way that he began to fuse a few hand signs together in order to counter but with a greater impact he had in mind.

"Suiton: Suiryū Kōbaku!" he spoke aloud and firmly to assure his dominance in the field of battle.

Water began to emerge from the earth beneath that covered a wide area. Before long, the water continued to rise as it soon covered the shins of the water user himself. His gaze never left his opponents as he refused to stray from any further unpredictable motives as she had just displayed. Water soon shot up from the pool of water that surrouned the two from various positions before the Senju further his abilities once more. His clothes changed to a darker blue while his hair increased in length with braids to accompany. Red paint with a gold design creeped across his face as his the sharper nails on his fingertips also emerged. The monkey sage had shown himself.

His eyes widened in disbelief. Something had caught his attention like no another had done previous. It was unusual, far from the norm that he was accustom to. In the presence of the females chakra before him, there was another. A darker presence lingered within the body of the mist ninja and it was not set by the Hokage himself. It was another jutsu. It had to be. Whether it was genjutsu or ninjutsu it was difficult to determine.

"Do you really mean what you said? Do you intend to hurt the people of the village hidden in the leaves?" he asked with curiosity. His plan was simple. Her response could possibly trigger the dark being that resided within her, enabling it to answer and reveal its intentions. If the idea was strictly her own, it would not hesitate to reveal itself furthermore. It appeared this spar determined a lot more than what the Senju had first thought with the stories with the woman in front of him. The question was also raised, was this also related to the previous attempt and succession of the burning forest?

Chakra: 275/370

Sage mode

Jutsu:

There was no need to see. She could feel his expression through the silence. The disappointment, disbelief, anger....the betrayal. She had seen it all before... and Tenmei Sotsuji remembered it well.
She remembered the deep creased look on her fathers face after she had run away from her stone home that last time... the first time she had left those scars. And the aching glances that Aya had used when she turned the connection to conflict and drew her sword against their fracturing trust. She could remembered the way those bystanders would glare through their tightly clenched anger after she had destroyed their ally in the chuunin exams a life time ago and left more scars on those who were caught in the raging forest fire. Even the face inside the mirror would stare back with flecks of betrayal when the last of her friends faded beyond the horizon.
Oh yes, the special jounin knew those subtle graces. She knew all of them well. So when the end of that moment came and the special jounin looked up once more, there was simply... nothing. Not a flinch of regret or a stumble of doubt. Just a resolute nothingness standing there, staring flames back at the Lord Hokage before her.




Show him the absoluteness of your strength, the truth behind your word

Show him how little his anger means to us.

.....

"Suiton: Suiryū Kōbaku!"

What?

A powerfully spoken name. That clearly ordered command. His words echoed around the wooden pillars, shattering the silence once more as the world around the two strangers burst to life. But this time things were different. It wasn't her flames that sought to reap havoc on the once lively emerald surroundings. It was his water.
From below her feet, the ankle deep puddle started to rapidly grow. It started to grow and spread... and rise from the drowning blades until it was creeping slowly up her covered shins. However, the forest flood didn't hold her attention for long. Something else just as interesting was happening right before her eyes. Something else was changing. The man who was distorting the landscape was becoming somewhat... different. His hair, his clothes, nails. The markings around those stern set eyes. If the young female didn't know any better, the Hokage looked almost animal. He looked dangerous.


What is going on? Why is he?

No, you need to focus

Why is this?

No! Move!


She was a fraction too slow.
Water started coming up from beneath her feet and it was coming too fast. No matter how hard she sprinted out of the area... or how well she tripped through the under grown roots and splashes of steam, there was no escaping the water bullets as they plummeted in to her ribs... her already bruised thighs and anywhere else the upward raining droplets could reach.  Even when the breathless Sotsuji rapidly channeled her chakra in to her hands and formed a barrier of raging wind about her; all it did was envelop the girl in a storm of wind and fire and lessen the blow of some of the abilities power until she could reach a cover that could protect her from the brutal barrage. But it was already too late... by the time all the water had ascended the Sotsuji was almost completely peppered in bruises and welts, her bones and underlying muscles even more so. And even though she was somehow... somehow still standing, what consciousness she had possession of was on the brink of tipping.


You think I am bluffing?
"You think I am bluffing?"


To the rest of the world she was still. Like the moment when nothing was said, she just stood there with her hands by her side; fists balled around the black hot knives as she stared him down with those deep glowing auburn eyes. Determined. Focused. Dangerous.
Only he would see though. With his newly developed senses the Lord Hokage would see the chakra inside her.... and then he would see the chakra inside her. It was like a candle flame. The outside was an almosy syrupy orange, glowing with a ginger hue just under skin. But as he looked deeper the shades and tone would fade to a viscous blood red, ending with an almost ghastly violet towards her centers. It was this arrangement of colour that seemed to move around on it's own. Leaking out in to her arteries, her veins... her mind. And like his water it was growing out of control.... but that was only half the problem. Something else was going on with her sunset like chakra.
As the purple in her core spread on one whim, the orange would grow on another. Building, compacting, pushing hard against the damaged bones and muscles. Pulling at her blue-ish skin. Tearing. Ripping. If she were more conscious the experience...it would be sheer bloody agony.


Do you think I care for those bitterly toxic people. All they do is judge and condemn. They wouldn't hesitate to watch me burn. Why should I be any different. After all. They hate different. You shouldn't have dodged me ....again
"Do you think I care for those bitterly toxic people. All they do is judge and condemn. They wouldn't hesitate to watch me burn. Why should I be any different. After all. They hate different. You shouldn't have dodged me ....again" 


If he didn't see it before, he would see it now.
The chakra she was building up. The pain she was going through. It was because the raw, unbridled power she had inside was being pushed out of control. The violent violet in her core was feeding the shinobi's inner heat. And if he didn't so something soon, she would once again turn in to a walking, breathing flaming bomb. And the waters that soaked in to the area would do next to nothing, to stop the raging wild fire from spreading as far as there was something to burn.

--------

Words: 1018
Total: 7365

Jutsu:

The sounds of crashing waters colliding with the woman's body left an echoed thump throughout the wooden environment. If it was not for the defensive maneuvers of the kunoichi's jutsu to soften the blows, serious injuries were sure to develop. Little did the woman before him no was that she was not the initial target, but the sky. The bullets may have collided but they also did not stop, rushing past her to find their destination to form a cloud of water which was its true intention. With his hands clenched into fists by his sides, and a stern and angered expression with gritting teeth to show, awaited the answer that he was sure to receive. His hair, which had shown its exponential growth and braided features, flailed back and forth with each bullet that created a great burst of wind from the water in the short distance.

A small moment had passed where the water bullets had ceased fire as their journey came to an end, lingering in the cloud above as it molded the essence of this ninjutsu. The woman who bore fiery ambition could be seen with a wilted candlelit flame in its stead. Beaten with only determination keeping her on top of the waters that made the battlefield its own, she spoke with a brave response, or a foolish one in her position.

"You think I am bluffing?"

There it was. His eyes widened as the aura, the chakra within her resonated with the darker presence. The fires were tainted with a purple hue to her crimson and amber red. It was not her own, it was a presence that lingered there, feeding off of her life force like a leech on another being. He could not let down his facade however. He could not let the kunoichi know of his plan of action or that he knew of this cretin that continued to dwell with her. The very pathways of her chakra flow were slowly intertwining with its 'companions,' causing the red to fade into its sunset hue. It was taken her like the night crept over the day. If she was aware, the strain could be killing her...

"Do you think I care for those bitterly toxic people. All they do is judge and condemn. They wouldn't hesitate to watch me burn. Why should I be any different. After all. They hate different. You shouldn't have dodged me ....again" she mustered from the aftermath of the blunt beating she had received.

Just how long had it been? Could Sousetsu's power alone relinquish the source of its power, or simply suppress it for some time. Either way, he needed to let her know of this... this darkness that resided within her. But not now. Now was the time for action. Now was the time for the dragon's roar. The cloud above began to rumble. A roar escaped as the head of a water dragon emerged from the side, overlooking the prey it had been given. Another roar shrieked like thunder in a storm.

Without so much as a blink of an eye, the dragon would not phase the Hokage. Instead, he saw the opportunity to further his tactic. He brought his claws together to form a single hand sign where he was then assisted by two shadow clones that appeared as a puff of smoke cleared from where they spawned. The three Hokage stood tall and stoic as they faced the woman in the distance. Without the knowledge of who the initial Senju was, a clone spoke to take the appearance of the true Sousetsu.

"Fear who the dragon calls for... For it calls for you!" he roared with his demonic water demon backing him like a band of percussion in the sky.

In an instant, the dragon raged on, emerging from the waters fully and revealed its length at an astounding twenty metres.  Sousetsu and one of his newly made shadow clones dashed with their speed to its highest potential. At thirty-three metres per second, they outran even the dragons speed, arriving at the kunoichi's personal area before. This was the Hokage's infamous speed that many had failed to outrun or even catch with the naked eye to the younger generations. He had yet to find a worthy rival to match his current speed, and he seen it as a rare prize that the word of mouth would have been called a tall tale even in his presence. Here it was however. A threat to his village would only see this, if they could, where he would strike fear and intimidation through this simple display alone. He calling out for the dark presence to witness. A line he was currently drawing, a flexed muscle to reveal what was in store if the threat were to be carried out. He could not tell however, if the impeding threat was conscious or if this information was being relayed to the imposer in question. For now, he could only assume.

The clone that stood in his place in the distance, raised his arm to command the dragon to redirect its movements. Its sharp turn caused a great gust of wind to blow over the three as it dashed towards the sky to explode. With the clone in his stead, his cunning speed, and a dragon that reverted its attack into a sudden change in weather of rain that showered the battlefield, he could only assume that confusion was all that lingered left in young woman's mind. The clone and Sousetsu himself, watched over her like stone guardians, unwilling to move and towering over her. No movements, much like before, but she would know it would be quick.

'When an opponent grows confused, anger rises. When backed into a corner, they will attack...' His plan washed over him, repeating itself like a broken record in hopes that the words would become more and more true. All he could do is wait for the fated response he would receive.

And it did. In an instant, a blade had reached his shoulder. Blood trickled from the wound as he continued with his gaze upon the woman, staring into her eyes as if into the lens of a camera to the one who was spectating. His hand instantly shot up to hold her wrist, holding the connection they had. His other hand thrust an open palm into the centre of her abdomen and remained pressing against her as he mustered the chakra he required for an exorcism. With the force of the open palm, he could safely release the grasp he held onto the kunoichi's wrist to perform half a hand-seal.

The chakra levels of the sage skyrocketed, giving off an aura of density that added weight to the air around them. A clashing of vibrations of the molecules in the air created a small shaking scene between the two.

"Kai!" He roared as the Azure Beast would release the jutsu of the possessed woman and the clones that would soon disperse thereafter, along with the waters that would also recede back into the ground. The rain ceased its downpour, leaving nothing but the two in a field of trees like they were found in before the spar had even happened. The sage mode soon reverted back to his normal state that those who knew him were accustom to. The water from the rain continued to run down him, hiding any sweat from the strain of the ability. He would look down on the woman once more and await what had become of her.

Chakra: 155/370

Sage mode

Genjutsu Dissipation SS rank

Jutsu:

The upward pouring water droplets, pounding their blunt force against her violet blue stained skin. Hammering relentless fractures in to her bones and crashing bruises in to her muscles. The ruthlessly building pressure tearing it's claws through those colours and the heat that boiled the cardinal metallic liquid as it moved like lava through her veins. The sharp, cold burning gash across her leg, and the deeper sensation from a harder hurt. Every straining ache, every tedious twinge. Every bloody exhausted fibre of the female's body that worked to keep her standing throbbed with a vengeful agony and Tenmei Sotsuji felt it all... but it wasn't enough. It would not be enough to knock her back this time. Tenmei may have been on the edge of stumbling, with a small slip away from losing balance. But she would not fall. No, not this time. Not again.

Without so much as a flicker of hesitation, the Special Jounin brought her hands together to combine the unusual knife so it rested securely in one piece as it had before and took an almost testing step forward, her lavender tinged eyes boring in to his with the same ferocity as his attack. But just as she was about to plunge forward with the strength of growing volcano... something caught her eye. A stirring in the heavens. In the sky, in the clouds that churned unsettled way above the mess they had created. Something was there.... something....
Something that roared with the animosity of thunder and the rage of its waves. That when it peered it's snarling snout from behind it's cover; it looked down upon the world like a god and reveled in the fear that it alone could bring.

"Fear who the dragon calls for... For it calls for you!"

"I Fear NOTHING"

She roared back over the growing storm, the deepening growl in her voice echoing menacingly clear through the charcoal tinged trees.
As she stood there with tainted water running muddy lines from the tips of her coal black locks to the shredded singed hem of the soaked through clothes. The crimson lines that connected the tears, the scratches and the scars. As the Sotsuji stood there resolute with the midnight onyx blade held firmly in her hand, he would see that every word was spoken with as much truth as there was anger.
Even as the the dragon clawed and dragged it's full length from it's resting place to reveal it's full mighty length to the bowing trees and the shinobi down below. Even as the two versions of himself came rushing at her with a speed her lilac eyes could barely comprehend to stand like gargoyles baring down at her with their ferocious presence; the flame inside did not waver. She. Did. Not. Falter.

Almost daring fate, the Sotsuji took a step forward to the two that now looming over her, letting them feel the heat that tumbled from her taught form in rippling waves of pure intense heat. Forcing them to taste the pressure that threatened to crush away the bruised bone and shred what other tissue she had left. Let them know the heat that she going to present to his dragon... his people. Let them all see... The dragon suddenly turned, casting a breeze that was almost enough to knock the female from her steadiness as it took to the air. Soaring higher... and higher until ultimately exploding in to a rain that would pour down on the smouldering world below. Further drowning the undergrowth but doing nothing to dampen the building... raging flame within. Nothing would stop her. Nothing could stop them. Whatever he was planning.... what was he planning? No. It didn't matter. It was over. Using the pressure that rapidly built inside her, the ground turning to charcoal dust beneath her feet. Before he tried anything more she jammed her knife to collide with the shoulder of her challenger with a brutal twist.

Finally she would feel flesh and bone give way to her strength. Finally he would smell the metallic warm liquid as it seeped out around the fine onyx edge. Finally she would feel the hand clasp it's vice like grip around the tendons in her lightly trembling wrist, the placing of a hand against her stomach. The....what?

"What are you doing?"

NO GET AWAY FROM HIM

"Let me go! Go away"

STOP HIM. STOP THIS. TENMEI MOVE

"LET. US. G...."

"Kai!"


The effect.. was... incredible. Instantaneous.
The moment his chakra started imposing on the other, it tried to fight back. In a glorious spectacle of shades and tones, it resisted the push with a force that rivaled the dragon's wind, as it desperately... desperately tried to maintain it's strong hold on the young girls form. But it wasn't good enough. It wasn't good enough this time. Trees bowed back out of the way of the intensity, creatures scattered from the safe holes, the stones that bravely stood to watch were knocked back from the sheer force of the collision but the Senju's strength was the one who stood firm. It was his force and will that inevitably triumphed. Forcing the amethyst chakra to disintegrate, fanning, spiraling out from his palm outwards. Until all that was left... all that remained was the receding warmth of the battered female who's chakra had returned to the beautiful crimson amber pulsing a heart beat through her core with the rest of her slumped forward, barely conscious against her victor. It seemed that the only thing that was keeping her fighting, that kept the pain... and the exhaustion... and the fear away was the one that had caused it to begin with. And now with him gone, with that foreign shade gone all that was left was nothingness.

Leaving Tenmei Sotsuji to close her eyes and slip away..... fall away.... unconscious, asleep. 

To nothingness

------

Words:1001
Total: 8636

The vibrant shakes within the air that was exerted from the host with an extreme aura of a blue hue caused the surroundings to flail, mimicking the dragon's roar and presence as it had swooped before. With the sage mode now gone, receded back into the Senju, he could no longer sense the chakra presence within the woman he held close to him. Was the presence still fighting back to drain the life force from the woman, feeding off of her own chakra, or had it been dissolved into the void? Sousetsu kept his grasp on the woman's tensed abdomen as the waves crashing came to an end, his other hand still wrapped around her wrist for her escape to become avoidable. With his teeth loosening their clenched state, it wasn't long before the young kunoichi had become increasingly weary from exhaustion. Her eyes had shown him that she was no longer fighting a personal demon or the Hokage himself, all they wanted to do was rest, and so they did.

Hastily her eyes closed, her conscious mind left to sleep, leaving a beaten and exhausted body in its stead. The Senju felt the weight of her body suddenly with the hand that held her wrist first letting him know. A simple reaction of placing the hand that resided on her abdomen to wrap around her waist, while his other made is way to the rear of her head, allowed him to bring her down slowly and carefully to lay to rest on the soft earth beneath. He stood tall, and it was only then that he felt a muscle twitch close to his shoulder. A sharp pain greeted him with a warmth from the trickling blood that would continue to travel down his arm and front. A small inhale could be heard as the realization had came to him, warning him to tend to his body before any further harm may accompany it.

He removed his cloak and armour, before his shirt would be taken off slowly with care to see the damage that had been dealt. Brick red surrounded the wound while fresh blood continued to exert itself from the shoulder. A curled lip etched across his mouth as he gently pressed around it before his attention was caught onto the lifeless body of the young kunoichi, she had took many hits from a dangerous ability after all. He retrieved some bandages from the inner pocket of his cloak and tended to his own wound first with a hasty tight wrap that would slow the bleeding for some time before he could focus on the helpless woman that lay on the soft soil.

With a hand sign, four branches evolved from the earth to each limb of the young woman and held her high enough for the Hokage to tend to her wounds. Bruises neighbouring bruises, the man continued to inspect the damage that he had inflicted to find it treatable. Another branch with uncommon leaves and a wooden object that appeared to resemble a small bowl, reveleaed themselves by the Senju from the earth with another hand sign in preparation. He took the leaves and places them into the bowl before he began to grind them with the blunt side of a kunai and mixing small traces of water from time to time. An almost paste-like substance was the outcome after some time, to which he applied it with small dabs across the woman's bruises, a natural remedy that he had concocted passed on to him by fellow members of his clan.

He proceeded to apply the bandages as she was still held high enough, he began to wrap them around her body, on top of the moist remedy with small pressure that was enough to spread it with little mess to follow. Once the body had been tended to, the branches slowly receded back into the earth while the Senju allowed her head to rest on his chest while he continued his helping hands to her arm.

"Forgive me. I never intended to attack with such harsh measures..." he spoke aloud in hopes of any chance that her mind could hear his apology.

It was sudden, but an action that was needed. If he could not push her, then he may not have been able to help her rid the presence that leeched. Was this aura the same as back then? When she burned the many areas she had claimed to? Where did the presence come from? It was too powerful for even a Jounin level shinobi, and it was quite an uncommon ability at that. He could not tell where it came from, there were no strings attached, it was planted within her with no breadcrumbs back to the caster. It only left him to continue questioning; What if he had not been here? Would the village be in turmoil, reduced to ashes and flames that would scatter their presence onward throughout the forests and buildings alike? Then again, he could not think of that as he was here and had stopped them in their tracks. But who was to say her personality was any different?

Even though her world was still lost to pitch and the final few traces of a musty rain and smouldering charcoal had evaporated from her lungs. Even though she could no longer taste the words on her tongue or try and find the thoughts to form them; the special jounin found that she could still lie there and listen...  Listen to the wind as it blew rain drops from the top most leaves and the small sound the droplets made as they  collided with the water below. Crackling of glass, groaning of branches. His breathing, her breathing. Two unwavering heart beats drumming out of sync. Even though every muscle... every nerve throbbed and ached with vengeful regrets, Tenmei Sotsuji could feel how absolutely heavy everything had become. From the weight in her eye lids keeping her in the darkness to the lead filled bones she had somehow acquired, to the very air that seemed to be pressing in around her with their feather light crushing force. No matter how she wanted to move... to speak, to breath. All she could do was lie there listening.... feeling. Waiting.


She wasn't waiting long


The ground felt good beneath her listless form. It felt stable.
With her back pressing deep in to the soft soil below, absorbing in the soothing left over liquid through the lightly woven fabric and the prickly brown grass scratching away what the water couldn't reach. She almost wished that the earth would swallow her whole. Pick her up and drag her down further  so she could remain like this forever...
But that wasn't going to happen. What picked her up was not the blissful stability of the ground she craved, but what felt like large strong wooden arms. Crawling and coiling around the heavy purple patterned limbs. Holding her up like a child would a rag doll. Embracing tightly...restraining lightly. But Tenmei didn't care. Worn out and worn down, all she could do was hang there in silence and just enjoy the feeling of the damp grainy mixture being dabbed across the stains across her skin, before being allowed to lie back down once again.


"Forgive me. I never intended to attack with such harsh measures..."

"Yes... you did"


The sound of her own voice came as more of a surprise than his did.
As she slowly opened her eyes to the golden light beams dancing through the unharmed leaves above them, the young female carefully raised her hand towards whatever stable substance she could grip before gently...gently heaving herself in to a sitting position and waiting for the light headedness to pass. Already she was missing the comforting strength the ground had provided.
But in all this time of finding her equilibrium once again... of looking down at her newly bandaged muscles and getting the feeling of normal movement again, she didn't look once at the Kage who had so brutally defeated her what could have been no more than an hour ago. No, before hand she couldn't take her eyes off of the calm, controlled Senju and now she was too afraid..too damn terrified. to see what might be looking back at her now that the battle was over and done.

"If you didn't intend it. You would not have done it.  I didn't.... I didn't mean it you know" She continued to say, testing the strength of her voice as she tried to form the right words.
"I would not have really hurt the people of the village. I just... I just wanted you to stop running. That's all"

That was all? Maybe not. In truth, he reminded her too much of Binsu. Before they had left for Konoha ga kure he too had challenged her to a fight. And just like the Hokage had done, he also kept dodging every single move she made. He would dodge and run, and slither out of the way until  she gave him no other choice. Until she gave them no other option but to knock her down with a single technique. And that... was demeaning. Humiliating. Down on her knees, soaked through to the skin and all she wanted was to be taken seriously as a threat. To have people look at her not in pity but in respect. As someone worthy of their attention and effort. Not a child to be shunned and cast aside.
But it seemed, that all her efforts made them believe the latter.... which in turn made her angry not at them...but at herself.

"I'm not sorry though. You were the one that challenged me to this fight. The damage caused here. The trees, the ground. Your shoulder. I wont apologise for it. Not even for the threats I may have made.  But.... if you ask me to leave. I will. I'll take a day or two to restock but if you want me to exit this village and not come back, I will do as you ask. I meant it this time.... I wouldn't have..... I wouldn't have"

I wouldn't have. I wouldn't have.

She couldn't hear him anymore. She couldn't feel him either.
Some deep, fearful sorrow blooming in her chest, reflecting across her eyes, and planting in her stomach; told her that he was disappointed in her. That he was angry at her...Furious. Enough to make him disappear from the recesses of her mind in silence. Leaving her to carry this shame alone. Leaving her to discover the truth about the threats she had made. Did she mean it? Was it as he said? The once familiar tears as she was pushed to the seams gave evidence of what she was about to do but.... Maybe if she told herself enough times that she knew all along that he would stop it before it happened. Maybe if she convinced herself enough times that she would believe her own words. Maybe if someone else believed her then she could....

"You're people may not appreciate me being here. You may not either and I couldn't care less. So I'll go.... but... if you allow me to stay. Even for a little while longer I will find a way to help this village. As penance for being....for being defeated and all I have done.
So... like this fight, the desicion is yours"

-----
Words:1083
Total: 9719

-----------

Training:
Ninjutsu: B to S = 7000
Strength B to B3 = 2500
=9500

9719 - 9500 = 219 left over

"Yes... you did"

His head cocked upright once again with a tensed jaw. He did. She was right. He had to. He was given no other choice as the dark passenger began to take control, reigning in the battle for supremacy for the mind of the kunoichi. He adjusted his body to her side, facing her arm and inspecting on the wounds further. He glanced at her cheek every so often as he kept his guard now that she was awake and it was from this that he learned that she refused to look at him. The once calm and collective man who revealed his other side to her. A beast who controlled the waters that drowned out her flames, the harbinger of retribution. The beast she had seen was tame in comparison to those who had given him his name. Ukiyo, the woman whom the two shared a history with, had seen the beginning of his new transformation. The fight that threw the beast into chaos where anger would cloud his judgment and nature itself was summoned in aid to hold him captive. But even nature itself failed.

"If you didn't intend it. You would not have done it."

He looked back up at her, distracted from the arm.

"I didn't.... I didn't mean it you know."

A small nod in agreement that blended with his attention that sought its way back to the wounds. He did not speak. Would not. He would hear her words and simply listen. Sousetsu always knew how to listen as a Hokage should for the people. A figurehead. A representative of his village. Her voice was still pained from the battle but her spirit was not.

"I would not have really hurt the people of the village. I just... I just wanted you to stop running. That's all"

He stopped once again, only this time he did not look at her, but at the soft earth to the side. The indents of their footprints still lingered within the soil. Even a gaze at the remnants could tell their story. Charred bark that was darker than black. A moistened landscape in its entirety, as if a herding stampede of horses crossed a river into new lands. He ran because he could. He ran because it was the safest path, the easiest way to determine his battle tactics. He had always done so. The memories of those who faced him seeped back to him like trickling waters from a faucet. One memory at a time as if they were photographs from an album. Still pictures of the distance he held between them. Still pictures of him running away. He had lost battles against superior ninja causing him to run. Some may call it strategic to fall back and regroup, but that was not how the Beast seen it. Sousetsu saw it as a failure, forever searching for his redemption even though he was not a man who wished to be the most powerful. It was simply because he wanted the threat gone, not wanting to look over his shoulders  or the village peoples.

She continued to express her lack of sympathy for what had happened. Something he could understand as he did invoke this masquerade of a spar to learn from her. She did not need to apologize for the damages or for the wound inflicted upon himself. Her words were the real issue to him however which she now claimed were simply false threats. But they were not just her words. It was the dark passengers also. He was unsure that the presence was expelled but grateful that it had subsided for the time being. A suppressed leech could do them no harm for now.  

She seemed reluctant to hear of the Hokage's decision to let her stay or have her leave. Just like the presence before her, he had the power to do the same to the kunoichi. Would he expel her, or let her remain within the village? She was right to ask which he respected fully for her asking. A small sigh exerted from Sousetsu before he returned his hands to tend to the wound on his shoulder, tightening the bandage to a certain extent. He cleared his throat as he finished and looked at her once again.

"Look at me." he ordered.

It was time for his own words to be heard.

"You are about as dangerous as a puppet can be... Only this time, you have no-one pulling the strings." he spoke in a small riddle.

He let the words sink in. She had to understand, or even remember the feelings she had undergone throughout the battle. Would she soon realize that her actions were not led by her own mind? Nevertheless, the Hokage had spoke the truth that he had uncovered to the person it affected the most.

"You may stay within the Village Hidden in the Leaves for as long as you wish. If you decide to leave, at least let the hospital personnel have a look at you."

He began to find his way to his feet. The coat with the emblazoned words of 'Seventeenth Hokage' found its rightful owner soon after. Fitted gently onto his person, the white coat blew with the gentle breeze that coursed by. The blue decal that tinted the edges ran with the breeze like a river. He then walked before her and stood stoically as he had done at his arrival. Another stern look and a slightly raised head revealed a dominant figure.

"Not everyone is the same. To judge an entire village by the actions of some, no good can come of it. There will be people who one day, you will call a friend and they will belong to a village. They will have friends, family who will also have friends and family. It will continue to branch out until the whole village will realize that they are one in the same. Be careful with the words you use in the future for one enemy will soon become many." he spoke firmly with the same authority he would have shown any other.

"Your flames will never reach the village, that much I am sure of. I will drown them out along the one who cast them."

A threat was something Sousetsu never used lightly. His eyes could show the sincerity and ferocity if the words did not. Hostility from a high figure such as himself, even the Beast feared those words from another in his position. It made his heart tremble to use them, deeply saddened that she was not the first, and certainly not the last to hear them. He let his head sink down, his eyes closed as he searched for peace of mind, to return to his mood of tranquility where all worries were left behind and all acts of aggression could be tossed aside like piece of paper to lose itself in the wind that blew to various lands, away from him. His head would lift up, his eyes began to grow softer as if he had achieved his wish for peace. A curled lip etched its way for a new reaction. A brighter one.

"May we become friends however..."