Theme Song:

They had been mission partners, spilled blood together. The natural next step for any proper shinobi of the Hidden Mist was to challenge one another to a friendly game of smash face. Momochi, Akiyama and Osoroshī, Kaito. One wouldn't really call the other a friend, at least not yet anyway. It was possible that could change with what was going to happen tonight. Kaito had first broached the subject of a sparring session with Akiyama after their mission to the outpost. They'd hunted down and killed a group of bandits that had been disrupting the construction o the outpost previously mentioned.

At first it had seemed they wouldn't work well together, one not fully trusting the other and Akiyama looking down on Kaito for his lack of a ties to a prominent bloodline of Kirigakure. Kaito on the other hand had seen his partner as nothing more than a meat shield to be kept alive long enough to allow Kaito the chance to complete the mission. As it turned out, Kaito had proven his worth through ruthless violence and Akiyama through his ability to cooperate with Kaito.

The two of them had walked away with blood on their hands, but surprisingly not from each other. As with all things, that had to change. In the Hidden Mist, one wasn't a friend until you fought each other properly. To this end, Kaito and Akiyama had agreed to meet on the grounds of both of their ancestors. The Bloody Cemetery was a place where they should bring honor to themselves in the presense the shinobi and the Mizukage of the past.

Most appropriately, it was raining when Kaito made his way to the cemetery. The sky had gone dark hours previously, and Kaito was wearing the typical shinobi uniform of the Hidden Mist, alongside his white lap coat and the headband that marked him as a shinobi of this great village. Besides his normal combat equipment, he had also brought a pale blue paper lantern to place on the steps of the marker for those shinobi who had died in the line of duty. He wasn't the sentimental type, but Kaito's mother had always expressed the importance of such simple rituals in one's daily life.

Kaito would wait by the lantern, paying his respects until Akiyama arrived. Kaito was struck by the thought of how nervous he might be about this type of sparring training if he wasn't a trained medical ninja, if one of them were seriously injured, the fighting could end and Kaito could heal them. What was it like to not be able to heal yourself or others? His mother hadn't always been a medical-nin, she had once been a regular ninja. If she was still alive, Kaito might have asked her, he could even ask her now, but he honestly wasn't sure if his mother could heaven hear him.

Kaito reached inside of the paper lantern, bringing a small candle from inside his back pocket and placing it within the fragile framework of the lantern. It was decorated with small silver spirals and the wooden paper used had a grain to it that made it look like rainfall once Kaito lit the candle inside. In truth, Kaito liked Akiyama, but he was thrilled at the idea of knocking him down a few pegs. All the talk of the Momochi clan and their great Zabuza, a traitor to the Hidden Mist, had annoyed Kaito slightly, more so once Akiyama expressed his disdain for Kaito's lack of clan ties. It always felt good to prove another person wrong, and Kaito knew there was nothing wrong with him or his ancestors. He couldn't allow his worth or the worth of his family's legacy be degraded by anyone, even a potential friend.

The light splashes the raindrops made against the muddy earth below echoed within Akiyama's ears as he walked. The gate into the cemetery was a plain one, simple by most standards but it did its duty well. When shut one would be hard pressed to blow it down, and its height kept all but shinobi from scaling it with ease. The faint silhouettes of grave stones lined the cobbled path that Akiyama strode across, leaving an air of death all around. It was a saddening place within the village, the remains of many thousands of shinobi left here as well as the coffins of all previous Mizukage within the large house at the center. This was not a place to journey alone, especially at night considering the rumors that swirled that any who entered would meet an untimely end. Akiyama however held no fear within his heart of the dark and the mist that this place presented. It would take far more than a ghost or some murderer to end the story of Akiyama Momochi this early.

Spotting a solitary, shimmering light in the distance Akiyama immediately knew what it was. Without increasing his pace he approached slowly and with a hint of caution, after all, Akiyama knew nothing of how Kaito acted when sparring a friend or rival. Coming to a stop at the edge of the light his lantern created Akiyama would glance to his right. There he saw the name Momochi upon a stone, for a man who had died some sixty years ago. It was typical of his clan to die in the line of duty, their stalwart nature often being their undoing. It was also how Akiyama imagine he would likely die some day, at the hands of a powerful shinobi who threatened the village he cherished. That was something Akiyama could tell he and Kaito had in common. Both shinobi were ready and willing to lay down their lives for Kirigakure if thats what it came to. It was also one of the aspects Akiyama liked most about Kaito, his unflinching persistence to protect that which was precious, his home, their home.

Kneeling down in front of the stone of his clansman Akiyama would bow his head in respect, reciting a short prayer he had been taught at an early age to honor the fallen. Reaching behind his back Akiyama would grab and place a single flower he had plucked earlier upon the ground before the stone. It was an offering, as simple as that, something to show his respect, having given a gift to the dead. "My great grandfather, he died young, the only solace being that his wife also birthed him a son young. He died holding a defensive line against several missing ninja who had attacked an outlying village. I'm glad hes here to witness this battle Kaito." Akiyama stood, turning to face Kaito, his large sword still sheathed on his back, showing no signs of aggression as of yet. "He would have liked you I think, at least from what I've heard. We are shinobi of Kirigakure, born to shed the blood of our nations enemies and bleed in turn. This is the bond we share, and through this blood friendships are born. Those were the words of my father. Shall we test them?" He questioned, positioning himself in a defensive taijutsu stance, his base wide and his hands positioned high and low in front of himself in order to deflect any incoming attack. Akiyama could only hope that Kaito would not begin slinging jutsu in a cemetery from the start, a baseline for sparring was always important to establish, close quarters combat.

Kaito sensed Akiyama's approach, offering his comrade a nod as Kaito watched the Momochi bow his head in respect to his ancestors. It was a shame the Osoroshī family had a private cemetery out near his grandmother's old place. He would have to return there to pay his respects to his own ancestors soon, something called him back there, and after what all had happened on Spider Island, Kaito had to many questions for the dead that might just remained unanswered. Hopefully, this sparring session would do well to clear his mind of the thoughts that strained him. "It is an honor to fight here, among your ancestors Akiyama, as well as all of those that have died for Kirigakure." Kaito offered in reply, he didn't want to bring up the fact that his own mother had no such honor of being buried here. ANBU that died in the line of duty were never buried, their memory only honored at a small display near the Mizukages' hall.

"I hope that should you find your rest here early, you share the fate of your great grandfather, and have children to uphold your legacy. Much kinder though, I hope you live long enough to see your grandchildren become fine shinobi in their own right. As one with no more family to speak of, if I can I would grant you a better fate." Kaito spoke, almost emotionless as he stood next to Akiyama, offering a short bow to his comrade's forefather before turning to the living Momochi next to him. "Shall we begin, or continue on as we are? Offering memories and memories to the dead?" Kaito asked with a friendly smirk before jumping away from his now opponent before finding his perch atop a gravestone.

Tilting his head to the side coyling, Kaito held out a hand to beckon Akiyama forward. They had seen each other's strategies, Kaito was more adept at subversion and counter attacks, with a good mid-long range game that also translated into a punishing close quarters combat style. Akiyama was a brute, a tank that could take what was given and dish out his own punishments. Tactical, Kaito's strategy was more well suited to this fight, but that would remain to be seen as if he was unable to dish out enough pain to keep the Momoshi at bay, Kaito would be the one at disadvantage. It would certainly be an interesting fight, no matter what happened, and while winning was definitely the goal, it wasn't the endgame, as the purpose of being here was to bond and grow stronger as a unit.

Kaito would start off by waiting for Akiyama to strike, as was fitting given his proclivity towards countering. Baiting them in and forcing his opponents to create an opening was Kaito's style after all, and undermining his opponents attacks with his own always served to please the young genin it seemed. For this end, as soon as Akiyama got close enough, Kaito had every intention of starting off with a full frontal attack. Sending chakra to his feet to keep himself from falling off the tombstone and forming the Dog Sign, Kaito coated his mouth with chakra, mixing it with his saliva to create and acidic foam able to be spit forth at his opponent at incredible speed. Kaito would wait for Akiyama to get within fifteen meters, since he could use this particular attack at a range of thirty feet waiting till Akiyama was that close would make it even harder to evade. If the attack struck, it wouldn't be game over, but it would definitely leave Akiyama in a bad place as the pain would be horrendous.

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The fact that Kaito had immediately put distance between the two of them told Akiyama everything he needed to know. Kaito was more comfortable at a range, unwilling to meet Akiyama in a direct physical confrontation. Having spent quite some time with the boy on their mission together had showed Akiyama exactly that. However, now seeing how quickly he retreated, Akiyama knew for sure his best chance of obtaining victory was to close the distance between them. His only other option however was to limit his ability to simply sling jutsu. Monitoring Kaito for a moment after he had motioned for Akiyama to come after him Akiyama scanned him with a critical eye. His distance was optimal to give him enough time to react to any movements Akiyama made and also put him at a range where he could simply take advantage of his skill at ninjutsu. Akiyama however had little to no ranged capability outside of supporting those who did.

For this reason, Akiyama moved forward, his strides long and purposeful in an attempt to close the distance quickly. Or at least this was the tactic he meant to portray to Kaito, instead waiting for a moment to respond and counter. The dog sign, it had been ingrained in Akiyama's mind, an obvious go to technique seeing how many times he had used it during their mission together. Flooding his own feet with chakra Akiyama would propel himself to the right, his chakra forcing itself against the moist dirt to invisibly jet Akiyama in the direction he desired. Controlling the technique wonderfully however he simply moved himself to just outside of the range of Kaito's jutsu.

Swiftly with his right hand Akiyama would pull a kunai from its holster and sling it towards Kaito's chest. The philosophy of aim small miss small permeating his mind as he made the toss, center mass needing far more movement to dodge than a limb. Planting his foot once again his sandle sunk into the mud that seemed to be ever present on the island. Thrusting himself forward once again in an attempt to close the remaining distance between he and Kaito he would reach across his chest with his right hand. Gripping the hilt of his large sword that jutted out from behind his left shoulder Akiyama would simply leave it there, as if unsure whether or not using the blade was fully necessary at this point. "You'll have to use a new trick Kaito, the old acid bubble bath isn't going to do the trick."

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So the foam wouldn't be enough to bring him down, so what, it was meant to inflict damage not kill outright. The fact that Akiyama had managed to evade the attack before moving in to strike him would have caught Kaito off guard if it wasn't for his need to talk while fighting. This was the third such individual that enjoyed speaking during a sparring session, and it still confused Kaito to no end. Talking and joking around in a combat situation would likely get you or an ally killed, it was better to just shut up and focus. If Akiyama hadn't said anything, Kaito wouldn't have known to move when he did, dodging the thrown kunai only by coincidence.

In the split second Akiyama was close enough to swing his sword, Kaito jumped from his perch on the gravestone, moving backwards and utilizing his advanced understanding of the Supernatural Walking Practice to move more than twice as fast as he normally would have been able to. While moving though, Kaito utilized the increased focus he had to leave behind a short glimmer of a shadow clone, or a stunt double, so that for a split second Akiyama wouldn't realize the silver haired genin had even moved.

Landing only five meters from where he had been standing, Kaito finished the maneuver off with an attack, sending a burst of chakra to his hair follicles in his head to grow his hair out before causing a total of fifty almost metallic hairs to spew from his head and fly towards the other genin. Moving at a speed of fifteen meters per second, and Kaito having only moved five meters from his previous location, it was doubtful Akiyama would have time to respond, less than have a second even.

It would be a shame to beat a potential friend so quickly, especially in front of his ancestors, but Kaito wasn't the type to show mercy, as a few loses here and now amongst friends would only encourage Akiyama to grow stronger before he lost his life in the battlefield. Kaito knew the Momochi's ancestors would agree with such a sentiment, many likely learning in the same manner or teaching in the same style in their own day and age. Many of the shinobi buried here would have understood Kaito's desire to forge Akiyama into something greater.

Having already been utilizing the Supernatural Walking Technique, and the botched suprised at closing the bag, moving away from Akiyama's likely assault was a simple method of avoiding taking a hit. The maneuver was quite literally the opposite of what Akiyama had done. More than that though, Kaito specialized in countering his opponent, rather than a specific range or style. His tactics were meant to subvert and work around the tactics of his opponents. Akiyama was so forward minded, like a racing horse with blinders on he only saw the path ahead. Kaito had used this knowledge to his advantage by creating a short lived shadow clone in his place as he moved, making it less likely that Akiyama would notice his retreat and opening up the Momochi for a second assault.

For now it was time to wait, would Akiyama find a method to avoid getting bombarded with the hair senbon, or would he attempt to take it on full force this time? Fifty wounds all half an inch deep would more than just hurt, and Kaito would have to rush to close and heal as many wounds before Akiyama began to bleed out. If Akiyama attempted to continue the fight, hopefully avoiding the attack, Kaito would still be a position to subvert and counter yet again, simply repeating his style of tactics until he'd weathered his fellow genin down, or forced him to concede.

195/250:

Closing the gap between him and Kaito within an instant Akiyama would attempt his strike. The simple slash easily passing through Kaito, though, clearly in an unrealistic fashion. This was a clone, not the flesh and blood he had been attempting to cut through. The friend that Akiyama had found was truly a cut above the rest, but like most shinobi Akiyama's age, he was too linear. Moving backwards a short distance did nothing to aid the other shinobi besides gain a small amount of distance. This did nothing to give him a better position, nor did it hide his form in any way for a sneak attack. Furthermore, it showed Akiyama that Kaito was, at a bare minimum, nervous to face him in a direct, physical confrontation.

The hair however, that was a surprise. The shower of hair follicles that came forward to swarm around Akiyama was odd. However, it was a far cry from the most unprecedented jutsu he had ever witnessed. Simply dropping into a low squat, his ass nearly smacking the ground Akiyama would duck behind the tombstone Kaito had previously been standing on. The light tinking of hardened hair against stone was a clear indicator as to their inability to pierce through the stone, while the others simply sailed overhead. Forming an intangible clone of himself he sent it to the right, rushing at an angle that it seemed to be trying to flank Kaito.

While this occurred, simultaneously the real Akiyama would move to the left and backwards, away from Kaito. A kunai in his right hand that seemed to burst to life with the power of lightning, Akiyama would throw it at Kaito. The speed with which the weapon traveled was what one would typically expect, given the speed at which the last projectile had traveled. However, the moment it came within a meter of Kaito it would burst outwards into an orb of electrical energy with a 5m radius, with Akiyama just outside of its edge. The burst of electricity would travel outwards from the kunai at 20m/s while the kunai itself continued to travel forward, aimed center mass on Kaito.

WC=361

200/230:

It wasn't clear to Kaito how Akiyama had managed to dodge such a quick attack, but nonetheless, the Kiri-nin should have expected such skill from a fellow shinobi of the Hidden Mist. It came as no surprise though, when flanking him from the right, Akiyama moved to attempt another strike. Something was off though, as it seemed the young swordsmen had dropped his blade. No. Kaito thought, dodging to the side as a kunai was thrown by the real Akiyama.

At such close range, and with nothing obscuring Kaito's vision, it was a simple thing to notice both the clone;s and Akiyama's own movements, the former's lack of a sword was a dead giveaway as to which was the real one. Having ignored the clone as it was harmless, Kaito instead jumped towards the clone, moving through it even as the kunai flew through the air where Kaito had once been. Having already enhanced the speed at which he could jump, Kaito was easily able to match the speed of the coming Kuni, avoiding it entirely in the process.

Quickly forming the Dog and Tiger hand seals as he moved, Kaito's mouth filled with an incredible amount of grease which he spewed forth at Akiyama, aiming the other genin down in the hopes he would be able to soak the other shinobi with the slippery substance. Upon impact, Akiyama wouldn't be able to find stable footing, slipping and falling if he remained with the three meter radius of the grease. If hit directly, he would drop his sword for real this time, and wouldn't be able to wash himself without using a Suiton technique of similar or more power as his own.

Remaining on the defensive for now, Kaito opted to throw up a defense, should Akiyama attempt to hit him with another projectile this time around. Water Chakra clung to his arms and fists as Kaito formed the Dog hand seal yet again, this time allowing him to catch offensive projectiles and even jutsu with his hands, or allowing him to deflect such attacks with his forearms, giving him an even higher tactical advantage at range.

It might seem like a simple thing to close the gab between them, or even to best Kaito in a hand to hand fight, but Kaito had long since acknowledged his lack of skill in such close combat encounters, supplementing this fact by training himself in mobility and counters. Kaito was about maintaining a medium distance, subverting his opponent's attacks before countering them with his own. Kaito's fighting style was focused solely on retaining control of the engagement, twisting and turning the encounter as he saw fit. If his opponent wanted to attempt to push through his defenses while evading his attacks or even tanking the damage, they would first have to pin Kaito down or catch up to him. It wasn't meant to be an easy feat.


10% Discount - From WC Discount (Jutsu) EP Prize
10% Discount - PvP Thread
Jutsu Trained: B Rank - 1200, B Rank - 1200
Total WC Used: 2400

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