Ukiyo sat on a branch of a tree, swaying her legs in the air while watching the canopy above. Birds and the like were scurrying about, busy with their daily to-dos. The sun shined through the cracks of intertwined branches and graced the woodland inhabitants with its warmth. It may not have been the forest she was well aquanted with, being located near the outskirts of Hi no Kuni, but it in a way it felt somewhat like home to her. Still, Ukiyo was somewhat nervous, a feeling she hadn't had in some time. Today was the day that she was to fight Sousetsu Senju, the head of the Senju clan. She had dreamed of this day since she was a small girl, and was still worried that she wasn't ready. However after what happened with Mitsuo, she decided it was either now or never. She decided to invite him to an area she knew of far outside of Konoha's borders, resting near the edge of Hi no Kuni. She chose this spot because not only did it have a descent amount of woodlands, but it was far away from the village so as to not draw attention. Trees ranging from 30 to 60 meters tall towered one over another, however they were relatively scattered. The sun shone fiercely and lit their canopy with warmth. It was a perfect spot for a battle between two Senju. Ukiyo was excited when she first made the decision to ask Sousetsu to fight her; she could finally see her long-sought goal within reach.

Now, however, she was slightly anxious. To think it would be coming to this so soon. It's been nearly ten long years since that day... and now... now it's finally my chance to do something about it. Her thoughts drifted to speculation about the fight. She had known for a while now of Sousetsu's abilities in combat, after all he was one of the legendary Sannin. She knew he possessed jutsu that could kill her in an instant. Ukiyo shuttered at the thought, Why does this have to bother me so much? Every time I'm faced with a grand opportunity, it's met with an equal chance of death and the fear that comes with it... I can't stand this weakness. It is exactly this fear that has kept you alive all these years in the woods, Ukiyo. Yes, but in the shinobi world it only hinders me. It has taught you to be keen of your senses, an invaluable lesson in any world. Still, this is Sousetsu. This is a battle I've dreamed of nearly my entire life. It has been one of my greatest motivators. Why can't I just suck it up...just this once... Ukiyo sighed as she leaned her head against the tree's trunk. The woods around her was calming; she watched leaves fall and bugs buzz, it was a natural sedative that put her mind at ease and filled her heart with warmth. She closed her eyes and smiled blissfully, breathing deep and letting her troubles fade away as she waited for her opponent to arrive.

'The woodlands close to the border of Hi no Kuni. What a more graceful place that two Senju would show their abilities to one another.' Sousetsu thought to himself. He was rather curious about Ukiyo. She helped his squad with missions during his absence around the time of the Chuunin exams despite not knowing her full well. Also, she did accompany Sousetsu in the battle against Hao, who showed her prowess no doubt. He had high expectations of the young female Senju and was pleased to accept this spar with a young woman who was so full of determination and summoned the courage to ask of such a thing. The day was calm as Sousetsu observed his surroundings during his journey to the designated area. The leaves made a small bristle against its neighbor throughout the many branches and the sun shone with a glisten not too strong. He smirked as he thought of how far one could come just to believe in their abilities to challenge held with high remarks. But Sousetsu did not judge as he was where she was only a few years prior to becoming Sannin. He trained his entire life through body and mind to achieve this status as one of the Leaf Sannin. He had gained so much during his time as a shinobi of the fire country, new abilities, new ideals, new friendships, and another chapter in the story of Senju, Sousetsu. The best of it all was that he was now appointed the head of the Senju Clan. His recent absence hinders his state of mind in thinking that he can live up to that expectation of being a Clan leader. After all, he has not been there for that many Senju, but wishes to change that.

The time was soon drawing near and Sousetsu was almost at the given location. His head was calm and collected and he was also quite happy to trade blows with a fellow Senju. A cool breeze blew past the back of his neck and the tiny hairs began to stand up. Was he beginning to have second thoughts? Maybe he thought that he could not live up to the expectations of Clan leader to this particular Senju. She did want to fight him as a Sannin after all. A mixture of emotions concocted a cloudy mind filled with unanswered questions. With a deep sigh he cleared his mind once more. He had been in many battles before, countless in fact, this was to be no different. However, should he reveal the hidden technique to this individual after keeping it hidden since he was special Jounin. Meeting with Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, had changed the way Sousetsu had fought when in a secluded area with a single opponent. No-one knew of the mystery that Sousetsu obtained during his time with the Monkey King. Nor did they know of his existence for that matter.

Sousetsu listened to the wildlife once more before entering the area where Ukiyo resided. The birds chirped and the noises of the insects used to call out to one another filled the air. It was a symphony of the wild and peaceful, Sousetsu's most favored soundtrack in this world. He entered the open area of green to find the young woman laying against a tree trunk, eyes closed, and with a small smile. He approached her calmly and gave off the infamous grin that he so commonly wore. With a formal bow he spoke, "Greetings, Ukiyo. I see you are doing well." the grin beginning to widen as he stood back to his rather stoic stance while crossing his arms. "Before we begin, I would just like to say thank you. Thank you for assisting in the battle against Uchiha, Hao. You're actions had helped bring him down in the end and the village hidden in the Leaves owe a great debt to you. You are a great asset to your clan, but more importantly, you are a great person. You have come this far through perseverance and determination." He bowed once more to show his appreciation. "I am honored to be here today."

Ukiyo could hear footsteps approaching her. They were steady and carried a deal of weight with them, growing louder with each step. She kept her eyes closed, knowing who it was and mentally preparing herself to see him. It's ok. You're fine. Just relax and this will all be over shortly. Breathe in... Ukiyo took a deep breath through her nose, filling her lungs with the warm Hi no Kuni air until they couldn't hold any more. And breathe out. She exhaled through her mouth, feeling her lungs compress to force out the air. Her spine was straight and her shoulders back, as they often were when she meditated. That's all this is: mundane. If you keep your head clear, and try not to think about who you're fighting.... then you can do this. The footsteps had reached her by this point and stopped. Ukiyo could sense a great well of chakra before her, an intimidating amount even. Before she opened her eyes, Ukiyo prepared herself one last time. There's no reason for him to know your true intent. Don't give him any. Ukiyo's eyes opened to see the Sannin standing tall beneath her. He was under the same tree she was, an act that Ukiyo would normally find offensive but for now she would have to bite her tongue. Now was not the time to be territorial. She hopped down from her branch and landed in a crouch, then slowly lifted herself as Sousetsu bowed and began to speak,

Greetings, Ukiyo. I see you are doing well. Before we begin, I would just like to say thank you. Thank you for assisting in the battle against Uchiha, Hao. You're actions had helped bring him down in the end and the village hidden in the Leaves owe a great debt to you. That's right, he was there too. I had only seen him briefly, but yes, he was there. He...he saved my life that day... You are a great asset to your clan, but more importantly, you are a great person. You have come this far through perseverance and determination. I am honored to be here today. He bowed again as he said this last bit, and by this time Ukiyo was standing straight with her eyes locked. She wore a small smile, wanting to come off friendly but not being able to force herself to make a whole-hearted one. He has nothing but praise for me...the man who saved my life...the head of the Senju clan... She felt her muscles begin to tense, and knew they would start shaking soon if she couldn't clear her mind. The realization that this was her chance to finally avenge her parents, to finally begin her plans, rattled inside her brain with what she just heard. She breathed in deeply through her nose, slowly as to not raise suspicion, and let her troubles slip away. Ukiyo calmed herself and suppressed her emotions, There will be a time and a place for that. Right now, however, there is one thing and one thing only I must focus on. Ukiyo's muscles relaxed and her smile lifted slightly,

Thank you, Sousetsu. She bowed at the same height he did, and nearly choked on her own tongue as she continued speaking. And thank you for saving me that day as well. I too am honored to be here, and I wouldn't be if not for your aid. She looked to Sousetsu and felt her blood rushing as her breathing sped up. Anticipation crept over her body as her stomach twisted to force her to say what was on her mind. She was focusing on only one thing at this point, and without any further distractions, there was no need to be coy about it. Are you ready to begin?

Ukiyo's smile, while small, still lifted Sousetsu's spirits. She came across the Sannin as shy and withdrawn, a feature he had came across only a few times. It would be interesting to see how this developed in Sousetsu's eyes. She thanked the male Senju with a warmer smile, one which he wanted to see. He did not want to come across as intimidating but rather a comrade, maybe even a friend. Of course, Sousetsu did not want to come on too strongly and so let his grin slowly fade away as she spoke of his aid. He could not simply stand aside as a fellow ninja of the leaf village became at risk of an attack, and a powerful one at that. It was in his nature to support those around him, be it in a battle or someone just to be there. Her breathing seemed to pick up slightly. Was it nerves getting the best of her? That seemed to be the only explanation that came to Sousetsu's mind but was soon met with a question. "Are you ready to begin?" She spoke suddenly. He simply nodded in reply and leaped backwards until they were around ten metres apart from one another. What could he learn from this battle he wondered. It was often said that actions spoke louder than words, that you can learn another's personality through the way they fought. The very aura around her seemed to withdrawn to learn by a simple look up and down.

He readied himself. His feet firmly on the ground in a battle stance of a balanced style of defense and offense. He could be found wearing his usual attire of armour emblazoned with the Senju symbol worn over a simple black jumpsuit, with a distinctive white fur collar. The armour was constructed from numerous blue metal plates, formed into multiple protective guards along his body, in particular: chest, waist, shoulders and upper arms. A katana could be seen laying across his lower back known as the high frequency blade which stood at three feet and three inches long with a black customized handle and silver linings along the outer blade. "Let us begin." Sousetsu announced before forming a few hand seals and placing his hands upon the earth before him. Three patches of a wet like substance began to emerge and formed into three wolves which appeared to be made from a muddy substance. The earth dripped from them but did not seem to deteriorate but regenerate. Growls could be heard as they begun their intimidation and circling the ground, strafing around Sousetsu. Sousetsu nodded slightly and before long the wolves began charging at the female opposite the Sannin.

Chakra: 355/370

Spoiler:

The Sannin nodded and leaped back in response to her question. With this, Ukiyo bent down and unhinged a latch on each of her ankles, and kicked her feet forward a bit. The ankle weights around her legs dropped to the ground, and her shoes slid off. She crouched down, putting her right foot back with her weight on it and her left foot forward with only her toes touching the ground. She kept her eyes on Sousetsu, knowing the battle was about to begin and that, from this point forward, she couldn't afford to let down her guard for an instant. She flew her hands together three times; first the Hare seal, then the Monkey, then her hands slammed flat against each other. As she did this, she watched as Sousetsu began forming seals of his own. Ukiyo kept her hands together in front of her chest, readying herself for anything. The hand-sewn clothes she normally wears, a white fabric that covers most of her body, hung off of her with no more than an inch of slack. This kept her from being restricted but offered little enough slack that she could control it with her movements. On top of this clothing were dozens of strips of bark, so tightly packed that they almost seemed connected. They were absurdly dense, despite their appearance, and Ukiyo trusted them with her life. The battle was about to begin; Ukiyo's heart thumped on her chest and echoed in her ears.

Sousetsu began moving, and Ukiyo's undivided attention caught every inch of it. He planted his hands on the ground in front of him, and from it three portions of earth began softening. They rose up in a mud-like substance to form three wolves, fully grown and now snarling at Ukiyo. They began spreading out, circling her and covering Sousetsu's flanks. Ukiyo cracked an honest grin. Wolves? When she had learned how to fend for herself in the wilderness, one of the first obstacles she had to overcome was surviving against predators. Wolves are plentiful in the Dense Forest, so they were no exception. Because of this, she instinctively knew how to handle them, and couldn't have asked for a better position. As luck would have it, she was standing directly beneath a large oak tree, and as she knew, the best way to deal with wolves was to Climb. Nature didn't gift wolves with this wonderful ability, and if I'm lucky, these won't be any different. Ukiyo immediately leaned back onto her right foot, placed her left hand on the trunk of the tree, and jumped up. She pulled herself up using her left hand and extending her right leg to act as a spring, together propelling her up towards the branch she came down from. She latched onto it with first her right hand, then her left, and quickly swung herself on top of it. She was plenty high enough to avoid the wolves, so long as they couldn't climb, and looked over to Sousetsu to see what he was up to. He still hadn't moved, and Ukiyo didn't quite like the look of that. If she got knocked down by him, the wolves would quickly become a problem again. So rather than pushing him back, Ukiyo decided to begin climbing the tree further. She would climb as high as Sousetsu would let her, though stop at the first sign of trouble.

Chakra: 270/300:

As the wolves charged in with their battle cry the female Senju had an instant response of climbing the  nearby tree. 'Climbing?' Sousetsu thought to himself. One could never be too cautious and so climbing was an ideal option for the wolves were just like any other in terms of ability. They could not climb the towering bark before them and so rendered them useless for the time being. Sousetsu grinned in response, watching as she climbed higher and higher as time moved on. She was used to the wooded area even more so than the male Senju. It was almost as if she spent every waking moment in the woodlands. Flowing so gracefully up the source of life itself. Sousetsu then decided that he should follow up his offense and so he began to follow behind her. The wolves could be heard howling at their prey before Sousetsu interrupted them, running past them and leaping up the branches after his opponent. Height was not Sousetsu's strongest point as he preferred land close to water but not everything would go the way he wanted to and so he had to adapt. The bristling of the leaves could be heard as each branch had pressure applied to it by the weight of the Sannin and again when he leaped to the next. The wolves watched eagerly and began to spread out below waiting for the inevitable return to ground level.  

'What technique would she be leading me into?' Sousetsu asked himself as he climbed higher, tailing the woman in front. Whatever it was Sousetsu was on alert, aware of his surroundings and focusing on each movement the young female made. He needed to ensure his safety and cover more of the area in case of an escape and so swiftly made another set of hand seals to help aid his initial plan. Two water clones soon arrived with a puff of smoke and leaped on a different set of branches than Sousetsu with the same flowing movement as him. It was almost as if they were climbing with the male Senju the entire time. Ukiyo was soon within his grasp and so he halted his movements and placed his hands together as if he was to catch something that would land gracefully. The first clone found his palms soon enough and Sousetsu threw him at the spring of the leap to gain more speed and higher ground. The second soon followed before he continued to climb also. The swiftly appeared around Ukiyo on nearby branches and together, attempted to attack with the first using a leaping kick as a distraction as the second would try to drag the woman back to Sousetsu with a grip around her foot.

Chakra: 330/370

Spoiler:

As Ukiyo ascended the tree, she continued to look back at the ground whenever she wasn't strictly required to look up to keep climbing. She watched as Sousetsu made his way to the trunk, and then began climbing himself. Hm, this is good I suppose. I can handle myself much better here than on the land with him. Is he really just going to pursue me though? He must realize how careless that is...  Ukiyo continued climbing, looking back down at Sousetsu every other second as she did so. In a few moments, she was nearing the top of the tree. This was when she looked down to discover her opponent was now accompanied by two copies of himself. So that's his plan. There's not many places to go up here, so he's planning to overwhelm me. As expected from a Sannin, he's tactful. At least I'm faster than him, that should keep the distance- Ukiyo then watched as Sousetsu launched the two clones towards her, rapidly excelling up the tree and landing on two branches around her. Shit- Ukiyo took a quick breath in and prepared herself; this wasn't the first time she had to take on two separate opponents. She found her footing on the branch and looked straight forward, so as to see the outline of each of their movements with her peripheral vision. She lowered herself by sliding her feet out to each side, almost in a split. She also placed one hand below her so she could maneuver quickly and one hand on her chest in a hand seal, just in case.

The two clones began their attack; one leaping towards Ukiyo with his foot out while the other diving below her towards her feet. They were definitely slower than her, and their form left much to be desired. Still, she was hoping they would attack separately so she could parry their attacks and throw them off the tree. It can't be helped. It was time to show Sousetsu just who he was dealing with. Ukiyo was a child of nature; she maneuvered better in foliage than most people did on dirt. Ukiyo leaned back and, keeping her hand firmly planted, slid "off" the branch. By doing so, she dodged the two clone's attacks and left them heading straight towards each other. She also never actually let go of the branch, but instead slid around it by using her hand to hold up her weight and her feet to keep her body stiff. When she did this, she swung around to the other side and released the tension on her feet. Right after she did that, she let go with her hand. All together she would create enough momentum to fling herself to another nearby branch whilst spinning. Ukiyo reached inside her pockets and threw out two kunai as she flew through the air. Her spin would allow her to turn around just in time to do so, then catch the branch she was aiming for with her jump. She aimed them towards each of the clones' heads, and soon grabbed the branch she wanted and swung up and around it. The acrobatic stunt was part of Ukiyo's signature Taijutsu, allowing her to remain in constant motion while attacking or defending. Once her feet made contact with the new branch, without waiting, she leaped up and continued her ascent. In a matter of seconds she would be at the top of the tree.

The water clones tactic did not succeed in taking her down but rather gave her an opportunity for a counter strike. Skillfully, the female had faked a maneuver looking as if she let go of the branch fooling the clones. Sousetsu's eyes widened, as she gracefully flung herself to another branch and producing two kunai aimed straight at the water clones. Sousetsu figured this place was somewhat in her advantage despite deriving from the same Clan as himself, but who could expect such a thing. He was rather impressed but gave little to no time in showing so as she still had the original to look out for. Sousetsu launched himself upwards with another kick in the spring of his foot reaching the area that the offensive strategy underwent and unsheathed his katana. With a feint swing with his right hand the high frequency blade caught the two kunai dead in their tracks, ricocheting to the lower levels of the tree. He grinned as the two clones found their footing along the branches only a few feet below himself. 'This is getting interesting.' he smirked. With his blade now where it belonged within the grasp of Sousetsu he placed both hands firmly around the blade. 'The tree grows thin as it climbs. The animals retrieve sap causing the bark to loosen. The colder air at this height results in the tree to strain itself for a resource of water, making it vulnerable.' Sousetsu quickly analyzed before swinging the high frequency blade with might.

The high frequency blade is a sword that resonates at high frequencies, raising its temperature, thereby increasing its cutting ability. The tree is soon cleaved through with clean cut across showing the inner wood on a flat surface as it began to tip to one side. Looking up, Sousetsu had noticed that the woman, his new found opponent, was still climbing. It would not be long before she realized what had happened. It saddened Sousetsu slightly that he had to do such an act to an organism that gave life. Nature was everything to him as he grew older in the fire country, but he needed to level the playing field in order to find a common ground between the two. As the treetop tipped and fell off of its base, Sousetsu and placed himself on top with his katana resting by his side. One of the clones knelt down on the branch he resided on for the time being while the simply crossed his arms and gave off the stoic look that Sousetsu gave when they met previous to the battle.

Chakra: 325/370

Spoiler:

Ukiyo was scurrying up the tree as fast as she could, when she suddenly felt the trunk vibrate and the branches shake. She glanced down to see Sousetsu wielding a katana and the trunk beginning to move next to him. He cut it? Shit- As the tree began tipping over, Ukiyo quickly scanned the area. There was another, slightly smaller tree about 20 meters away. It's branches had a descent length however, and Ukiyo was merely a few feet from the top of the tree she was climbing. As it was about to fall off of the trunk, snapping and crackling as it tipped, Ukiyo leaped forth from the top of it in the direction of the smaller tree. She grabbed hold of a branch a little lower than Sousetsu with her right hand, barely catching herself near the edge of it. She quickly pulled herself up and watched as the upper part of the tree fell below towards the wolves down below. She looked up to Sousetsu before it landed, not wanting to take her eyes off of him for much more than a second.

He's using a lot of jutsu to do his fighting for him. I wonder why he's not fighting me himself. Standing on her branch, Ukiyo then called out to Sousetsu as she waved, Oiii! Sousetsu! Is that your sword? How about you come over here so I can get a better look? Taunting was a common tactic for most ninja, and Ukiyo often made good use of it. However that wasn't the purpose of this. Ukiyo knew that Sousetsu hadn't seen her jutsu before; even when they fought alongside each other, the battle hadn't lasted long enough for her to activate any of her seeds. She did place them on him then, but like most people, his eye sight more than likely couldn't see or feel their microscopic presence. By calling out to him, Ukiyo gave a reason to wave, making it look perfectly natural. In reality, she actually let go of several seeds when she initially started waving, throwing them towards Sousetsu and his clones. Since they're too small to see, she knew Sousetsu would have no reason to suspect her doing such a thing, leaving him to think her wave was a normal movement to make while taunting him. She waited to see how he would respond to this, readying her body to move as she kept her gaze on him.

As the treetop fell Ukiyo leaped to another tree branch not far from where Sousetsu stood. He now had the high ground, leveling the playing field just as he had intended to do. With a wave of her hand the young woman spoke, "Oiii! Sousetsu! Is that your sword? How about you come over here so I can get a better look?" Sousetsu widened his eyes slightly. He found something new in this girl. She was shy and withdrawn but now she was openly speaking with enthusiasm. What was she planning? It was clear to Sousetsu that this was a taunt of some sort. A trick. He knew something was afoot and he could not shake off this feeling of edginess. 'She's deceitful.' he thought to himself. He was now more cautious of this woman before him. She would not want to meet Sousetsu in her personal comfort zone, not after the 'nerves' that she had shown prior to this battle. He needed more time to think. He looked down at the muddy wolves below and released the technique. The ground was now a viable option for Ukiyo to descend to. He smirked with an added giggle and nodded. "You wished to fight me, why should I be so ruthless, Ukiyo. Come and see the blade for yourself." Sousetsu announced before his clones dispersed to the ground level where he soon joined them almost instantly. They were now in the middle of the open green area and he had no intentions of moving.

Still, Sousetsu could not shake off this feeling of discomfort. All he could do was see how this played  out. He made no expressions however, only a more stern look. With the wolves gone and the clones sitting idly by, Sousetsu placed both hands firmly around the blade's hilt once more and took a balanced style stance. He inhaled deeply from the nose and exhaled slowly from it also. His mind was  becoming clear and he would soon find out what it was that was making feel at unease. He was wasting chakra simply by chasing the female Senju, who proved to have speed even greater than his own. It was a remarkable feature indeed. The water clones began to spread at his flanks and take defensive positions, holding their own blades so that it was vertically across their bodies and feet firmly upon the earth. The original Sousetsu remained transfixed on the female Senju's actions, watching her every move without so much as a blink. To go offensive to defensive so suddenly was one of Sousetsu's battle tactics that he grew accustom to over the years but this time he was using the balanced stance, ready to counter strike in his defensive state or unleash a flurry of blows if given the opportune moment.

Chakra: 325/370

Ukiyo grinned as she saw the Sannin nod and begin responded to her, knowing that by doing so her seeds would hit their targets. You wished to fight me, why should I be so ruthless, Ukiyo. Come and see the blade for yourself. Sousetsu finished saying his piece, then he and his clones hopped down to the grass below. Ukiyo couldn't help but be giddy. It didn't matter that he was making her come to him, she could handle herself in hand-to-hand combat. All she had on her mind were those seeds. And with that, the battle is already half won. I guess I shouldn't have expected too much from a Sannin, after all, he's only a Senju. They have no place in this world, so perhaps it is fate that I should be the one to begin their eradication. Your parents would be proud. Ukiyo then stopped for a moment and thought about it. She hadn't exactly thought of what they might think of her actions, or plans. I don't know, actually... Perhaps they would see eye to eye with me, that the clan and the village used them for their cause and discarded their lives as if they meant nothing... but then again, what if they knew their fate? What if they chose to accept such a mission, knowing full well the consequences? Ukiyo's eyes began welling up, and she clenched her fist. What if they knew...and chose to leave me on my own? A tear seeped out of her eye and she wiped it away quickly, not wanting her opponent to see what she was going through at the moment. Does it matter, Ukiyo? No, it doesn't; my resolve is as it always has been. The preliminaries begin today; the first Senju shall fall. Ukiyo's fists were clenched and she wore a stern look of determination. She was still a little blushed from the blood that had just rushed to her face, but she didn't care. She looked down to Sousetsu with hate in her eyes; a piercing glare glowing with righteous indignation.

Ukiyo made a hand sign in front of her chest as she activated her jutsu, then began stepping back on the branch. Three seeds that had landed on Sousetsu sunk beneath his armor and through his clothing, seeping into his pores. She then dropped from her branch and landed on the ground about 20 meters away from her opponent. She crouched with her right foot forward and left foot back, holding her left hand against the trunk of the tree and right hand in front of her. She could feel sunlight trickling down on her, warming her hair. She smiled lightly. It's finally time. With that, she folded her right hand in twice, signaling the Sannin to come to her. He didn't feel like chasing her apparently, and that was fine; she didn't need to run from him anymore.

Chakra: 260/300:

Upon further inspection of the opponent Sousetsu noticed something unusual. Ukiyo's eyes seemed to squint. Her facial expression as if she sucked on the juices of a sour lemon within a short moment. Her fists were clenched before she wiped the side of her eye. 'What is she doing?' Sousetsu thought to himself becoming more worried as time went by. He looked up as he seen those eyes. Those eyes that Sousetsu wore when the crystal user attacked the village. It was hatred. It was coming together piece by piece. The secluded area close to the border, the shaking and flushed expressions on her face. A tear accompanied with clenched fists, and now the deadly eyes before an act of no regret. He thought back to his previous statement he made along the treetops. 'She's deceitful.' He kept his head level and had to be sure this was her intention. She made a hand seal close to her chest but there was no jutsu. He scanned the area around the young woman but nothing seemed to change or appear before them. 'It must have already been set.' Sousetsu continued to move his eyes cautiously from side to side, observing that the nature of the woodland was not changed and made no effort too. That's when it dawned on the Sannin, the wave. She was deceitful.

She signaled for him to come forth once more, but he made it clear that he was not on the offensive anymore. She didn't seem to adhere his wish? She was safe. The process had already begun. 'This is not a spar. This is where she plans to kill me...' Sousetsu finally figured as his heart began to quicken in pace of beats. He swiftly performed further hand seals and placed his hands on the ground before him. "Mokuton: Mokujōhek!" He announced before wooden pillars came from both sides of the earth to surround him. With no vision he had to act fast. He began the process of removing his armour to reveal a black jumpsuit while the clones fought in his stead, rushing towards the young female Senju. Under the small wooden dome, Sousetsu began meditating and soon his clothes changed to a dark blue hue while his hair increased in length. Red face paint emerged with a gold design across his face and his fingernails increased in length, sharp as knives. He had finally revealed what he was. A Sage. He could sense the chakra of those around him but the chakra inside of him was different. There were three micro organisms making their way around his body. 'The wave... She must have thrown them.'

Spreading his fingers and clenching the tip of his fingers together he began to penetrate his own skin, digging into the muscle to retrieve the foreign chakra. His muscles tightened as the pain grew larger, with every centimetre he dug deeper, the pain became more unbearable. He began to scream as low as he could, taking deep breaths after each yelp. The first was retrieved. It was so small. A simple dot that would not be seen if one was not searching for it. He dug further, using his eyes as a form of X-ray vision for the chakra before finding the second and third. He placed the seeds under the dirt before him where he sat, almost as if he was planting them. His jumpsuit was torn and his blood seemed to trickle out. He needed to give it his all now. The Monkey Sage of the Leaf was ready. The adrenaline was pumping through him and he was ready to confront the person responsible for their foolish actions. He stood and withdrew his high frequency blade once more before aggressively swinging it through his own technique, destroying it and rendering it useless.

His eyes revealed a mixture of sadness and anger. It was mistrust. He looked her up and down while he breathed excessively, pumping his chest outwards and inwards. With another tightened grip around the hilt of his blade, he began to dash towards his opponent. As she was in range, Sousetsu was at the top of his speed and performed a roar that that could equal that of a wild beast.  "Suiton: Ōuzu Matoi no Jutsu!" The great katana that Sousetsu wielded now became a large water vortex. Ukiyo had seen this before, she should have. He used this very ability to save her from the ferocious and devastating fire attack of Uchiha, Hao. Knowing its ability, how would it feel to be on the other side of this blade? With a short leap and a great swing of a new weapon in his hands, he swung it downwards onto Ukiyo's position with such might that the impact would surely cause a great ruckus within the area and a crater to show for it.

Chakra: 255/370

Jutsu used:

Spoiler:

Ukiyo waited for her opponent to make a move, but instead, he used a jutsu that surrounded himself by wooden walls. Ukiyo became suspicious. Why is he defending? I'm clearly not attacking, and he's not under any other apparent danger. What is he planning to do... As she thought this the two clones began rushing her. Still using others to do his fighting, huh? The first clone rushed in directly in front of her, a fatal mistake when she was in her defensive stance. Ukiyo pushed off the tree with her left hand and slid directly between the clone's legs, being too fast for it to hit her before she disappeared. The next clone was coming in at an arc from her right, so Ukiyo grabbed the clone she slid under's ankle and pulled him off his balance. When the other clone arrived, it jumped up and attempted to hit her with a round-house kick aiming downwards. Ukiyo used her left hand (now on the ground) to shift her weight over her left shoulder and lifted herself up into hand stand. She landed next to the grounded clone and used the opportunity to quickly push the clone that had just attacked over. She wouldn't hit hard enough to do serious damage, as there wasn't enough time, but they would take a little time to get back up at least.

Ukiyo then realized something: her seeds. They were no longer lodged within Sousetsu anymore, but instead in the ground below where his structure lay. Did he go underground? In an instant, that question was answered for her. Sousetsu's blade sliced through the wooden walls around him and his defense toppled. He was almost unrecognizable. He no longer wore his armor, but instead was clothed in a dark blue jumpsuit. His hair was now longer, darker, and almost appeared as if it was braided. Above all else, however, his face was covered by red and gold markings, which looked as if they were war paint. Is this the same person? His chakra...it's unreal. I've only felt this kind of thing in my plants before, never in another human. It's no wonder his abilities seemed lacking; he was holding back. Ukiyo then remembered her seeds, which she still detected being below him. She also saw three distinct wounds on his chest, right bicept, and upper left thigh. They were bleeding a descent amount, making it obvious what had happened. He must have dug them out. How could he possibly have detected them though? This form of his must be powerful, I can't let my guard down.

With that, Ukiyo began molding Mokuton chakra within her body. The Sannin began charging towards her, wielding his blade in a ferocious new form. A massive whirlpool of water formed around his blade as he approached, and Ukiyo recognized this as the jutsu he used to protect her in their fight with Hao. This was the technique Sousetsu used to cancel out Hao's Katon. It's definitely powerful, so- As he was almost upon her, Ukiyo began shutting her eyes as her Mokuton chakra coursed through her entire body. Suddenly, thick plant-matter began enveloping her entire body, head to toe, armor and all. It took the form of bark as it settled and was covered in etched-out markings, detailing Ukiyo's chakra pathways. Her face became concealed with a mask of hardened bark with slits around her mouth for breathing. Just as Sousetsu seemed to have transformed, so did Ukiyo. The real battle had begun. As her jutsu completed, Ukiyo's eyes burst open to see her opponent now starting to leap into the air with their blade overhead. He was almost directly on top of her, ready to crash his blade down. As he did so, Ukiyo stayed calm and used the little time she had to side step the blade. This wouldn't avoid the jutsu, but it would allow her to avoid the attack while being directly next to the Sannin's katana. Ukiyo kept her hand held out in the same position she was just in, so as to catch the sword as it came down. At the same time, she would jet out her hand towards Sousetsu's throat, attempting to grab it as he fell. With his momentum already coming crashing down, she hoped he would have no way to avoid his blade being caught. That way, he would have to choose whether to relinquish his weapon or risk his neck being clenched by Ukiyo's swift counter attack. If he did let himself be caught, Ukiyo would squeeze in on his neck, breaking it with ease. Either way, a serious asset was most likely about to be lost.

Chakra:

Sousetsu's attack was soon to land before his eyes widened slightly. He could see the female Senju beginning to change also. Her entire body suddenly appeared with a thick plant like matter from head to toe. 'What!?' Sousetsu thought aloud. He had never came across a jutsu like this but he felt the nature energy becoming stronger around the woman. It wasn't sage mode as it was not as powerful or in tune with her own chakra compared to Sousetsu but almost like a layer formed around her person. An odd mixture of markings appeared on her before the attack fully landed. 'Her chakra has not changed, this is a jutsu. Armour?' Sousetsu thought as his sage mode revealed all. Ukiyo appeared to have sidestepped the attack with her arm outstretched towards the Sannin. Was she planning to counter attack? He had to be sure and so focused chakra for a counter defense. The time came when the powerful water vortex crashed down and created the crater the cracked the earth ten metres long before him. An explosive sound could be heard and the birds began to flee the area with the sounds of chirps going awry and wings flapping frantically. The insects seemed to grow silent also and all was replaced by the sound of crumbling earth and dust clouds. As the smoke was clearing and the water vortex subsided, Sousetsu felt the blade at a higher position than it should have been. He noticed the blade was now caught by the young Senju to which he found surprising. The hairs began to grow on the back of his neck. The chilling sensation that the young woman was able to counter such a technique was impressive but his tone changed before long.

The counter defense that Sousetsu had worked on was the wood clone technique. As he landed, a wood clone emerged from his right and left shoulder, but not in full body form as of yet. The wood clone took on the outstretched hand in place of the original Sousetsu's neck. The clone on his opposite shoulder soon emerged fully from Sousetsu to grab onto the woman. The first clone began that appeared to catch the attack merged with Ukiyo for the time being. She could not do as she wished to these clones as they too were made of wood. Sousetsu noticed that with the nature energy around her and the colour of the armour must have indicated that it was wood. The wood clone has the ability to merge with plants and trees and so, with this armour she had surrounded herself with, she became a target. With one clone merging slightly as he was strangled she would soon have to deal with a great hindrance. Sousetsu looked down at the young Senju and bowed his head slightly in shame. "Why? Why are you doing this, Ukiyo?" Sousetsu finally asked. His curiosity had to set his mind at ease and hopefully she would answer with full intentions. He never wished to fight with a fellow clansmen, especially not with death involved.

Chakra: 205/370

Spoiler:

As Sousetsu landed and Ukiyo's arm reached out to grab him, the Sannin began growing two heads out of each of his shoulders. His jutsu made contact with the ground as well as Ukiyo, splintering and cracking her armor, though not destroying it. Her hand shook as the blade landed in it and she wrapped her fingers around the sword tightly. The ground behind/beside Ukiyo was hollowed out, creating a crater where solid earth once lay. She didn't have time to think, and before she knew it, she was grasping a clone's throat rather than Sousetsu's. She released the chakra in her fingers, not wanting to waste her technique on a clone. The clone she had grabbed was only partially emerged from her opponent, coming out of his shoulder and replacing Sousetsu's neck with its own. The other one began fully emerging from his body once landed, and was aiming to grab Ukiyo as well. The clone she was grabbing began merging with her hand, or rather, the wood surrounding her hand. She was well versed with the Wood Clone Technique, and knew of its ability to merge with flora. What was supposed to lock in Sousetsu was completely turned around on Ukiyo; she was now physically merged with Sousetsu through his clone and had another one aiming to hold her down as well.

However, this was a double edged sword. Not only was Ukiyo held down by the clone merged with her hand, but so was Sousetsu, for the clone was still merged with his own body. This didn't go unnoticed by Ukiyo, who quickly pulled up her pinky and index finger of the hand grasping the Sannin's blade and touched them together. As she did this, her opponent's head dropped slightly and he spoke in a morose tone, Why? Why are you doing this, Ukiyo? Ukiyo didn't bother to listen to him as he spoke. The moment she stood in the tree and decided Sousetsu's fate, she had become serious about this match, which for Ukiyo meant going into survival mode. Asking such questions while this close to her only gave Ukiyo an opening to attack, which she did. Before the man could finish his question, the young Senju's jutsu activated. She used five seeds on the surface of her skin, which simultaneously activated five identical seeds along with them. Ten chutes of bamboo began jetting from her body. One would come from the hand currently merged with the clone's neck, which would pierce through said neck and hopefully through Sousetsu's which lay directly behind it. Three would come out of the same arm, however further down from the top, right, and left side of her bicep. These would curve forward to aim for the areas around the clone/Sousetsu, in case they tried to move. One would come from her arm holding the sword and aim for the clone rushing towards her from the right. One will protrude from her chest and aim to go through Sousetsu's, with two on either side of her hips aiming slightly outward in case he moves. A chute will come from her left knee as well (being straight at first but then turning diagonally right), and the final one will come from her left shoulder aiming diagonally outwards in case he moved there. With the Sannin attached to his partial clone, and the throat of the clone attached to Ukiyo's hand, his movement would be extremely limited. The chutes would be strong enough to pierce through the both of them with ease, and Ukiyo hoped to catch him off guard by activating it while he spoke. He would receive no answer to his question, nor mercy for his lineage.

Chakra: 200/300:

Before the words escaped his lips Ukiyo already began utilizing her next attack. The disturbance of mustering up chakra warned Sousetsu with his sage mode still proving to be beneficial in his time of need. Chutes of bamboo began to emerge from her own body piercing the first clones neck towards Sousetsu with haste. His eyes widened slightly once more. There was still too much he did not know of his opponent, only that she focused on the wood style more so than either water or earth. Sousetsu ducked his head from the attack causing the wood clone to grow from his body, almost like a suit of skin being shed. Three more of the bamboo chutes had shown themselves from the same arm used to pierce the clone, curving around it. His eyes darted as he planned his escape before he would not get the chance. Another escaped from Ukiyo's chest with a dead on attack while others appeared for the other clone on the opposite side of Sousetsu and finally her hips and left knee, all of which planning to surround him or pierce through hid body. It was clear that now was a desperate measure as her blood lust could only be filled and not reasoned with. The Sannin's left leg reached back before a jetstream of water summoned itself through the earth before them. Both wood clones were caught by the bamboo and soon dissipated before his very eyes as he swiftly made his escape backwards as the water carried him with a greater speed than he initially had. His high frequency had to be left behind however, letting go and leaving it in the hands of Ukiyo. The water continued to propel him backwards as he appeared to be surfing in reverse. During his escape, with haste he made further hand seals before creating an unusual seal to finish off. "Suiton: Suiryū Kōbaku!" He roared growing his distance of at least ten metres by now.

A large pool of water of a fifteen metre radius suddenly formed and surrounded the two, although Ukiyo appeared to be in the centre of the technique. Before long, water bullets began to shoot upright at a great speed through various parts of the pool of water. The bullets appeared to be one foot in diameter as they began showing themselves. Sousetsu however, was also in risk and so continued to propel backwards to escape the radius of the water bullets, dodging any of the disturbed rumbles of water crumbling near his position. The ripples in the water after a bullet was fired proved to show a difficult task of where the next was coming. A water cloud began forming above the centre of the technique with a bit of distance from the two, which Sousetsu chose to ignore to draw less attention to it. His face behind the mask of paint was now stern and calm. The storm was approaching and the Senju leader was now soon approaching lament for the actions about to come. 'Too little is known about her. Her techniques are not one even a Senju is familiar with. This has to end quick.' Sousetsu thought as he devised his final strategy. Her life would soon change by Sousetsu, yet so would his. If it was not for his reactions, Sousetsu would have surely faced peril. His ambitions were not finished however, and so he refused to fall before anyone let alone kin. 'She could could have surpassed me if not for this. Why?' he thought over and over, facing another battle in his mind trying to find the solution. As the bullets were coming to an end Sousetsu remaind focused on the opponent before him. She was the first to see the monkey sage. She was also the first to see this technique. 'Why?' he said as he realized her strengths and how promising she was.

Chakra: 155/370

Jutsu used:

Spoiler:

As the chutes emerged from Ukiyo and skewered the two clones before her, the real Sousetsu began suddenly flying backwards on a wave of water. Ukiyo still felt the blade held in her right hand and smiled. Good. The fingers holding onto the blade then quickly changed form to a kai sign and all of the bamboo, except for the ones on her left arm, broke off. Ukiyo turned the sword sideways and stabbed it through the back of her shirt, sliding it in-between the strips of bamboo so as to hold it in place. She bent down to pick up a couple of the broken-off stalks of bamboo when she saw Sousetsu then begin forming a stream of hand-signs as he retreated. Ukiyo had picked up only half of them (three) in her right hand when Sousetsu seemed to finish off his seals. He made an awkward-looking sign, then began shouting.

Suiton: Suiryū Kōbaku! She saw the floor around them begin to well up with water, but kept her eyes on Sousetsu's feet. She analyzed his movement with an obsession, registering every minuscule twitch of muscle as she began stepping forward towards him. Soon, Ukiyo vanished with an immense burst of speed towards Sousetsu. She closed in on him as globs of water began forming on the water and firing into the air. She passed all of the ones between the two of them before they could lift off the water's surface, and as Sousetsu weaved in and out of the ones now firing, Ukiyo stayed directly behind him the whole way, shadowing his movements. As Sousetsu emerged outside the pool of water, Ukiyo launched her attack from behind his back. She shot her left arm forward with the 5 meter long bamboo chutes still attached. She also held her right arm out to the side, prepared to swing it in front of her once her opponent moved. He had been able to avoid her attacks up until now with a proficiency she expected, so she wasn't about to let him do it again. At the first sign of Sousetsu dodging her left arm's bamboo, she will immediately throw a chute of bamboo from her right arm to his new location, then repeat that if he found a way to dodge the thrown bamboo. She had three stalks she could throw currently, which meant he would have to dodge continuously somehow. Even if he had eyes in back of his head and could see all of the attacks coming, it would take more than speed to maneuver in several different directions simultaneously.

Chakra: 190/300:

As the Sannin brushed past the bullets as he focused on the young woman before, it was clear that her speed was greater than his own. Her fragile and small body must compensate for her lack of strength somehow it appeared. She mimicked his movements, flailing from left to right much like himself. A keen sense to match her speed had shown the male Senju her determination and dexterity with great prowess. It was almost time. The bullets were about to cease fire as the Senju evaded what they had to offer. Almost instantly, Ukiyo vanished and appeared behind  Sousetsu, making his escape futile for the moment. He darted his head to view his surroundings as he left the pool of water to find Ukiyo already on the counter attack. 'She still has not noticed...' Sousetsu thought in the split second he had to defend. His reaction was not to attack her head on but still play defensively until his technique was ready. Sousetsu became aware of the situation. She knew nothing of this ability as he never showed it before, and the time was almost nigh as the last rumble of the last bullet was heard. His movements halted for a split second before reversing back onto the water but the bamboo chute that remained shooting towards him could not be dodged.

The bamboo pierced through Sousetsu's shoulder as he himself began turning into water, surrounding the bamboo with the substance instead of blood. It was his hiding in water technique. The large pool was enough to conceal him as there was fifteen metres of the area covered with water. The last rumble was shot into the air to complete the water cloud above. A ferocious water dragon appeared to be emerging from the cloud, introducing itself with a rather tremendous roar. Sousetsu slowly began to form also on top of the dragon within the air with the jet stream still underway below his feet. A wound was upon the shoulder where the bamboo pierced previous leaving a few trickles of blood spewing from it as he stood in his stoic stance. He thought little of this however, merely checking the wound with his right hand to show the clean blood. He had used the last bullet to shoot his own body up to join the cloud that she paid little attention to. Within a short moment, the dragon charged with an even higher speed than Sousetsu's own, crisscrossing and moving in directions where it suddenly changed positions, much like a snake as it moves, the dragon soon crashed on Ukiyo's position. The dragon was three metres thick yet twenty metres in length which would leave a rather large punch as well as a small test of endurance. Sousetsu rode the head of the dragon as it traveled, leaping off before contact to avoid the damage himself. He leaped to where he left his armour and retrieved it as he surfed the area, placing it on him during his short travels. He then moved to the centre of the water once more where the initial attacks of the water bullets emerged, awaiting his opponent.

Chakra: 135/370

Jutsu used:

Spoiler:

As Ukiyo made her attack, Sousetsu shot forward to avoid it. As I thought This confirmed her suspicions. She didn't know Sousetsu to be a medical ninja, and was curious how he was able to detect the seeds she implanted within him. On top of that, he was able to almost predict she would attack him before when they were stuck together, and because of that, avoided her attack by the skin of his teeth. Now he was able to discover her position almost instantly, and dodged her attack just in time again. She came to the conclusion that he had some sort of sensory ability active, and was piercing his surroundings through this. It was clearly advanced, being able to sense her physical presence, her preparation to strike, and the microscopic presence within his own body. Ukiyo realized she may not be able to rely on surprising her enemy as she's used to fighting, but will have to take a more head-on approach. Lucky, his jutsu didn't appear to be perfect. As Ukiyo flung the bamboo in the directions he moved, one of them hit him dead on in the shoulder. Sousetsu fell back into the water behind him as the bamboo pierced his flesh. As the bamboo penetrated his shoulder, water "bled" out of the wound and soon Sousetsu himself had completely dissipated into the liquid. Damn. He's been relying on his Suiton jutsu a lot so far. Just as expected from a Sannin too, he's very versatile with it. Alright then, I guess it's time. Ukiyo placed her hands together flat in front of her and began channeling chakra into her palms.

The bullets of water then ceased suddenly, and Ukiyo then realized something. If he merged with the water, and all of those bullets were flying up into the air, does that mean he could be- As Ukiyo then looked up, a thunderous roar accompanied what she saw next. A large water dragon was suspended in the air, and had its sights set on Ukiyo. On top of that, her opponent Sousetsu now appeared on top of the dragon's head, emerging from the beast and standing on top of it. Ukiyo clenched her teeth, I should have noticed that. No matter- The dragon began charging towards Ukiyo quickly, with the Sannin on top. Ukiyo was too close and the dragon was too large for her to be able to escape in time. She meld chakra furiously between her palms, hoping she would make it in time. All the while Ukiyo kept an eye on her opponent as he zipped back and forth on the his creation's head towards her. Just before the dragon hit, Sousetsu leaped off its head over Ukiyo in an arch. She couldn't cast her jutsu in time, so instead she fixed her eyes on the Sannin (and held her breath) as his attack hit with an immense amount of force, tearing apart parts of the earth all around her and pushing her feet into the soil. It took only a second for it to pass through her, but the impact was incredible. Ukiyo was left standing in the wreckage; the surface of her armor was cracked in several places and worn down almost everywhere else. It was close to reaching its limit, but none the less, remained intact. The bamboo that once surrounded her arm was now completely destroyed, laying unrecognizable upon the ground below her. Now that the water had passed, though, Ukiyo could see clearly again, and breathe as well. With a deep intake of fresh air she saw that Sousetsu was right on top of his armor and about to pick it up; this was the exact opportunity she needed. Her jutsu had just become ready, so she activated it before it was too late. The seeds Sousetsu had planted in the ground before were directly next to his armor, giving her the perfect setup to use it. Originally, Ukiyo planned on trying to stop the dragon, but lady luck smiled upon her today and gave her a second chance. Ukiyo activated her jutsu just as Sousetsu would try to pick up his armor, screaming as she did so.

TREEEEE! As the sound left her lips, her trees began to grow. One would grow from one of the seeds Sousetsu had planted, aiming directly towards him, while an identical tree would begin growing out of Ukiyo's arm. Its roots would wrap around her arm and shoulder and cover part of her body as it clung to her. This tree would also be aimed towards Sousetsu, so he was not only being attacked vertically but horizontally as well. From both the seed and her arm would emerge trees towering 90 meters tall with 45 meter wide canopies, accompanied by various branches ranging from 1 to 45 meters along its trunk. It was Ukiyo's favorite jutsu, by far, and she couldn't imagine in her wildest dreams a more perfect time to use it than to crush the head of the Senju clan.

Chakra: 165/300:

"Tree!" was the word screamed across the battlefield as Sousetsu was picking up his armour. His eyes shot open as the tree burst from the ground and a rather large branch appeared to pierce Sousetsu. It was now dark and the blood rushed from his stomach. With trouble breathing he looked to the young woman and sighed his last breath before collapsing along the branch he was impaled. A short moment had passed and the tree was close to its maximum height before the body of Sousetsu turned to a puff of smoke with wood in his stead. The original Sousetsu was already making his getaway in the forest, rushing at top speed back to village. Surprises were all too common from this opponent and Sousetsu could sense the seeds presence around his armour. She could not fool him while he was in his sage form, there were no surprises from anyone. Instead, he turned another surprise and gave away his plan in return that would change Ukiyo's life as well as his own. 'The Hokage will hear of this treason. There is no need to fight here any longer.' he thought to himself as his speed was at its fullest. He moved from branch to branch with great haste and mobility before suddenly stopping on one branch. He sensed his substitution disappearing buying him the time he needed.

She would be exiled, removed from the village and living a new life as a wandering and missing ninja. Did she think the Sannin and leader of the Senju Clan would fall before her? He couldn't, it was not his time yet. This would not be the last encounter. This was not the final battle. No Senju would fall this day. He placed one hand by his chest forming a hand seal and vanishing into thin air with the body flicker technique. With no hint of which direction he went it would have been hard to trace him. 'Senju, Ukiyo. May the next battle be the last' he thought as he was close to the village gates as it was within his sight. He rushed to inform everyone of her betrayal. His armour was lost as well as his blade. He removed his sage mode to leave a tattered ninja in a black jumpsuit. A wound noticible wound upon his shoulder still trickling down his clothes. He tended to the wound as best he could, applying pressure with his hand before signalling the gates to be opened. He needed to train. He needed a new attire. The Sannin of the village of the hidden leaves was only going to be stronger as the days would go by. 'Why?'

-------Exit Thread-------

Words: 5470

Ukiyo watched as her opponent was struck by her trees, his body becoming mangled in the process and skewered by their branches. Ukiyo's lips curled up in a grin as she was filled with a sudden, overwhelming excitement. I...I did it! I finally did it! The head of the Senju has- The Sannin's body the disappeared in a puff of smoke, replaced by a log. Ukiyo's expression went flat as she felt her heart drop into her gut. Crap! Where is he? She looked around frantically for her opponent's position but couldn't find a trace of him. Is he hiding? Or is this another jutsu... She looked around at all of the water in the area; knowing her opponent merged with it before, it was likely that he could do it again. Ukiyo still couldn't pick up any signal as to where her opponent disappeared to, so she made a hand sign with her left hand and prepared for the worst. If I can't find him, then there's no point in standing out here like a sitting duck. I'll let you search for him. With that, she activated her jutsu. Suddenly the tree that grew up from the ground towards Sousetsu began emerging from the earth; its giant roots pulling up the terrain and whipping back down to get its footing. At the same time, the tree wrapped around Ukiyo's arm/body began untangling itself from her and soon broke off all-together. It too took a stand on its roots and stood side by side with the other tree. The two of them had become animated, and now swung their branches around the surrounding area in an attempt to smoke out their target. As the trents walked around, destroying the landscape in their wake, Ukiyo began sinking into the ground. She didn't plan on standing out in the open while she was unaware of her opponent's position.

After several minutes passed, with no sign of Sousetsu, she re-emerged from the earth. It appeared that the Sannin had fled the battle and was nowhere to be found, seeing as her two trents continued their fruitless search. Ukiyo approached the armor that was left on the ground where Sousetsu failed to pick it up. She closed her eyes and attempted to sense his chakra, but was unable to detect anything. He really did leave. That bastard, how dare he run from his own fate.... Ukiyo began tearing up again and clenched her fists. She dug her nails into her palms and ground her teeth violently. That...bastard... Her head fell back and she looked up into the azure blue sky. The image of her parents' faces burned into her mind, and she could see them in every cloud that passed. She was so close to avenging them, so close to her goal, only to have it slip away from her. That snake. That cowardly, soulless... Senju. Ukiyo hated the name, despised it. She refused to affiliate with it all her life, and now was no different. Her biggest target in the Hidden Leaf, the most significant Senju they had to offer, had gotten away from her, and there wasn't a thing she could do about it. Ukiyo cursed him as she looked up at the sun staring right back at her,

Sousetsu... The next time we meet, you will wish that you had fallen here. All of the Senju will pay, and you will have no one but yourself to blame. With that, Ukiyo wiped her eyes and looked back down at the armor laying before her. She picked it up and examined it. While it wasn't much, she hated the idea of her opponent coming back to retrieve it, so she took it with her. She went back to where the battle had first begun, picked up her shoes and weights, and merged back into the soil. Mitsuo knows where to meet me. Hopefully he doesn't wait too long... Ukiyo continued through the earth and root networks towards Tsuchi no Kuni, leaving her trents behind should anyone attempt to follow.

~~~End of Thread~~~

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Chakra: 135/300::

Strafe has told me to void Ukiyo's travel at the end of this thread as it does not adhere to the site's travel guidelines. You can't make a random thread into a travel thread. Please post a real travel thread with your starting location and destination in the title.