Dawn broke on a damp, musky forest. The morning was particularly hot for some reason, be it the summer solstice or the humidity was unclear. Ukiyo laid on a branch of her tree, sprawls out with half her body hanging over the edge. She panted as she slept; minute beads of sweat covered her brow, symbolic of the heavy dew that coated nearby leaves. Her hand lifted halfheartedly to shoo away some flies that had been feasting on the salty liquid, but seemed too heavy for her to lift. Still asleep, Ukiyo squirmed a bit to get comfortable. Her body was uncomfortably warm, pressing against moss on the branch which only exacerbated her discomfort. She rarely felt this way; normally the heat relaxed her. Normally it was reminiscent of home: nature, her parents, home. Not today though. Today the heat and humidity turned on her, making her clothing stick and her branch warm. The moss was no longer cool, the air no longer refreshing. It was as if night had never come. Ukiyo, unknowingly, began rolling over on her branch. She pulled up her arm and leg and slide off the other two over the opposite side. She immediately began falling, but as soon as gravity took hold, Ukiyo woke up. At the last moment her hand opened up and grasped the branch, flipping in the air and straightening herself out enough to land smoothly on the ground in a crouch. A slight pain rattled her ankles as she hit the ground, but overall she was unharmed. Mmm Ukiyo groaned with her eyes still closed.

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Ukiyo stood up and brushed some of the moss/dirt off her shirt. She looked up at the branch she dropped down from, shielding her eyes from the few rays of light infiltrating the forest. It wasn't that great of rest anyway. Ukiyo sighed, then began walking to the nearby stream for a bath. On her way there, Ukiyo heard a feint cry for help in the distance. It's so hot out. And it's just a person... She looked in the direction of the stream, contemplating her options. She listened to the rushing water ahead and knew how refreshing it would be. She closed her eyes and imagined it; submerging herself in cool water and washing her filthy clothes. It was absolutely the only thing she wanted at the moment. Ukiyo sighed, I guess I should help. She took off in the direction of the cry, jumping up into the branches to gain more speed. She was still traveling at a relatively leisure pace, feeling various leaves and branches along the way. Another cry was heard in the same direction, and Ukiyo picked up her speed, now ignoring the various brush around her and heading straight towards her destination. Ukiyo reached the edge of the woods where they opened up to the rolling hills, where she dismounted from a tree and hit the ground running. Rather, she hit the ground rolling, but quickly sprang up with her usual acrobatics and took off in a sprint. The breeze on and between the hills was strong, much more so than in the forest. It was less humid there too, but by no means dry. Beads of sweat dripped down from Ukiyo's sideburns and trailed down her face, falling off her chin and being left behind in her dust. Ukiyo traveled over several hills before she stopped to re-assess her direction. She found a thin trail of blood near a trail that was haphazardly concealed by branches. Someone's wounded.

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Ukiyo ran up to the trail of blood and knelt down next to it. She dipped her finger in the trail and confirmed her suspicion, It's still warm. Ukiyo immediately stood back up and took off down the trail, leaping over the branches in her way. After a minute or so of travel, she came upon a ninja wrapping her leg with gauze. She had two short swords on her back and wore mostly black. Are you alright? Ukiyo asked her. The wounded kunoichi began laughing. She started off lightly, as if chuckling, but slowly grew into a fierce, maniacal laugh. Soon the ninja was on her feet and staring at Ukiyo with hungry eyes. She was smiling devilishly, the same kind of smile Ukiyo wore when she was about to take down one of her "targets". Ukiyo quickly realized that she was not the one who had been attacked. Ukiyo jumped back and performed two hand signs, preparing for the worst. Sure enough, the shinobi began charging her, drawing her tanto and extending her arm to the side. Ukiyo ducked down and quickly buried herself beneath the earth to avoid her opponent's attack. While she was confused, Ukiyo's hand emerged beneath her and grabbed her ankle. The shinobi responded with lightning fast reflexes, swinging her tanto at Ukiyo's fingers as soon as she had made contact. Ukiyo retracted her hand as her blade may contact, slicing the tops of all four of Ukiyo's fingers. Shit. Ukiyo emerged from the earth a few meters away, jumping back again, trying to put a little distance between the two of them. It didn't last long as Sora began charging her once again. She's fast- Ukiyo didn't have time to think. Her opponent was already upon her and she had to respond with the only seed she had in place. It was unfortunate that she had to use her seed so early; Ukiyo usually likes to wait for a more opportune situation. However one would definitely say preventing a major stab wound would be opportune. Ukiyo made a hand sign as her opponent was mere feet away and several small vines shot out from Sora's foot, latching onto her arm and pulling her sword down towards her own feet. At the same time a couple small vines came out of Ukiyo's foot in an attempt to latch onto her opponent's foot and pull it out from under her. Ukiyo drove her palm down on Sora's head during this, and if all went according to plan, she would not only strike her and place several seeds on the back of her head, but she would also trip her opponent and cause her to stab her own foot. Unfortunately, however, Sora's speed was as fast as Ukiyo's, and she swiftly swung her tanto around in her hand to cut all of the vines attached to her. Ukiyo was able to graze her hair, but shortly after Sora would be driving her tanto up the center of Ukiyo, attempting to slice her chest open vertically. Ukiyo lept up and stepped on her blade, bouncing off of it with her extremely light weight. She flipped backwards and landed several meters away from Sora.

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Chakra:170/200:

Sora jumped into the air, drawing her other tanto into her free hand. She flipped, diverting attention from this, and came down on Ukiyo with a massive amount of force. Ukiyo lifted herself up into a sideways handstand on her left hand as Sora struck the ground where she once stood. Ukiyo drove both her feet down, attempting to wrap them around Sora's neck. She quickly dodged by ducking down and swung her swords towards Ukiyo's hand on the ground. Ukiyo stepped onto Sora's back and picked her hand up, then leaped off before Sora could turn around. Ukiyo began running away with Sora hot on her trail. Ukiyo knew she wouldn't last if she continued fighting her hand to hand; she had to think of some way to outsmart her. She saw a nearby pile of timber several meters tall consisting of extremely large roped-together logs. She ran directly towards it, placing her hand out in front of her in preparation. Sora, knowing she was running towards a dead-end, didn't even attempt to get in front of her. She was content with running the scared little rabbit against a wall and then slicing her open there; painting the well-stacked logs with her blood. Unfortunately she never got the chance. As Ukiyo ran into the logs, she merged her body with them and phased right through. She came out the other side in a mere second, and it positioned her for the perfect attack. In the short moment of Sora's confusion, Ukiyo activated her jutsu. Suddenly two huge trees began growing out of Sora's head and back, crushing her in a pocket against the timber. Ukiyo leaped up onto the logs and looked over the edge at her opponent. Sora crawled out from beneath the trees, bleeding severely and covered with bruises. IS THAT ALL YOU GOT?! Ukiyo was stunned by the fact that she was still moving, let alone enthusiastic. In an instant, Sora leaped up to Ukiyo's level and swung at her. Ukiyo had barely enough time to step back, and took a slice across her chest about 2 inches deep. She cringed at the pain, but didn't let it slow her down. Sora had stepped onto the logs and was pressing forward with her attacks, swinging her swords violently and with rapid succession. Ukiyo was doing the best she could to avoid the attacks, but she was reaching the edge of the timber and knew she would have to think up a new strategy, and quick.

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Chakra:135/200:

Ukiyo dropped down off the logs, quickly followed by Sora. When she got to the ground, however, Ukiyo caught herself by placing her hand down and then sliding back rapidly. As Sora fell in the same spot, slashing downward at Ukiyo, she dodged right and made a hand sign. Several chutes of bamboo caught Sora as she landed on them, piercing her from below. Ukiyo jumped back in a back hand spring and cocked her arms, preparing for her opponent to recover. Soya slashed through the bamboo and pulled out the pieces lodged in her legs. She was bleeding profusely but still seemed to have plenty of fight in her. This is nothing, kid. She lept forward again, activating a jutsu that appeared to elongate her blades dramatically. As she did so, Ukiyo fell into a bridge into a hand stand, using some of the momentum to swing her legs around in a circular motion, bring them down to the ground, continue the momentum by twisting her torso, leaped off her feet and helicopter kicked, catching herself on her hands. She then repeated this process continually as water began forming on her body. By the time Sora was within reach, she was spewing out water all around her. The water pushed Sora back several meters, keeping her at the edge of the stream of water. She took a few more lacerations to her chest and stomach, but was far from done. She just doesn't give up. What if she's healing? Ukiyo peered out from her attack at her opponent. No, she's still badly wounded. What's her end game? Ukiyo moved closer to her opponent while "dancing", pushing her back further. Coward! Sora screamed as she tried standing up to the attack. COWARD! Sora began pressing through the water, taking deeper and deeper lacerations to her chest and stomach. She drew her sword above her head and channeled chakra into it, elongating it dramatically. THIS IS A COWARD'S FATE! She brought the sword down on Ukiyo, who switched directions of her dance to press water directly against the blade. It slowed down the attack, but Sora was far stronger than Ukiyo could handle. The sword cut through and lodged into Ukiyo's right shoulder several inches deep. Ukiyo cringed at the searing pain sinking deep into the right side of her torso, but kept her composure. She grew thorns around her body, then grasped the edge of the blade using the thorns to prevent cutting her hands. She tried pushing it out, but Sora continued pressing down hard, overpowering her. Ukiyo felt her body giving in, she wasn't nearly as wounded as Sora yet the pain was overwhelming. Shit. I don't know if I can keep this up. She doesn't seem to stop, and that last hit of hers is tearing through my- Ukiyo flinched as Sora twitched the blade, twisting it in Ukiyo's shoulder. AAAAH! Ukiyo yelled out in pain, unsure of what she was going to do.

2006/2500

Chakra: 95/200:

Ukiyo was pushing with all her might, but the more she pushed, the more it hurt, and she didn't seem to be making any progress. No, no, no. It can't end like this, it won't! I won't let it. If I die...if I die then no one will protect them. No one will care for them. They'll all die and the world will have me to blame. I need to do this. For them. If not for my own sake, my own survival, then for them. I have to find the strength to do it. Just do it. Come on Ukiyo... please. Just do it. Do it. DO IT. DO IT! Ukiyo pressed the sword up slightly, about an inch out of its position from before. Sora smiled, knowing the young kunoichi was doing all she could but it was still far from enough. Just give up, it's over. She smirked, confident in her victory. Ukiyo ground her teeth and stared into her eyes with utter contempt. That's not all you have. You have more, much more. Just...need to...there! Ukiyo finally had shifted her weight forward enough, after having inched forward slowly for the past minute, to drop to her butt and kick her legs up. This not only used gravity to loosen the blade but gave her a way to attack Sora's arm with enough force to dislodge it entirely. IT IS OVER! Ukiyo caught herself on one hand and leaped up to her feet. She made a hand sign and suddenly several vines began growing out of Sora's wrist and entangled her, wrapping her up to the point where she couldn't move a muscle. Ukiyo dropped to her knees, panting. Sweat poured down her face in the brutal sun and cruel humidity. I did it, we did it. We did it. She closed her eyes slightly, her breath still heavy as her lungs pounded against her chest. To think today started off so nicely- well, actually it didn't. She let out a feint chuckle. I never did save anyone though. Whoever that was...I doubt they made it out alive. Maybe I should've just stayed in the forest, taken a bath. Ukiyo began imagining the stream again: the cool water encasing her body, the refreshing taste of the raging stream, the sun reflecting off drops and waves and all of it. Yeah. Should've just stayed... She looked up at her bound opponent, struggling on the ground to break free. There was blood trickling out of the vines, but with immediate medical attention she would make it. Ukiyo contemplated what to do with her. I haven't had that kind of meat for a while... and she did make me work for it. It would be a pain to catch dinner all over again. Hmm. Ukiyo slowly approached Sora and knelt down before her. Sora shouted profane language as much as she could, but none of it was audible with the vines covering her. But then again, I'm sure whatever Konoha has in store for you is much, much worse. Ukiyo grinned at the sight of Sora struggling beneath her bindings, bleeding in between them, and knowing this was only the beginning for her. Ukiyo touched her shoulder and winced. I can't let this happen again...

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