Uchiha, Rise! [p]

[☆ F ☆]

Throughout our meager existence, many stories have been passed down from generation to generation, as well as culture to culture. Stories of justice, wise decisions, powerful heroes, and even erroneous decisions made dribble down history's facade as time passes, yet their lessons are always loosely retained with the birth of each new generation. It was the elder's responsibility, and thus far, they had done well. For without these stories, the future would most certainly be a dark one.

I wonder if I should have turned back at the brook...

While my tale was not anything I considered too grand or amazing – though the many fallen I've produced might think otherwise – it's perspective changing abilities were more than enough to sway me to tell it. Seven long years have passed since my transformation began, and today I could gladly and proudly claim I was done growing and evolving. The learning was over. I had lived on the edge one too many times, and while many in my spot had fallen towards the dark and cold precipice that was peril, I managed to survive.

“Where are you...?”

Though it had been some time since I traveled down this path, I was nonetheless confident my memory would not fail me. Stoic with my demeanor and precise with my movement, I dashed through the thick forestry in search of my old teacher. Would they be there, where we had once forged our unbreakable bond? I had no idea, and there was no way to usher in certainty; it had been seven years after all, and I had been gone without a trace. But if they were still alive...then, and only then, would the sky be the limit. Funny – the further I moved through Hi no Kuni's dense greenery, the quicker my life-changing memories triggered and elapsed.

“…”

Lucky you.

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[☆ F ☆]

The prey roamed free and wild across the plains, moving as if enjoying the lucid weather this day had granted him in a way he had never experienced before. His movement, swift and lonesome, would grant him the ability to transverse all forms of greenery with ease, ebbing and flowing across the lush grassland as if he had been apart of the vegetation all along. Yet for all the glory behind his travels, he still managed to carry a formidable shadow looming closely behind. Indeed, he was quite upset.

Fucking Sandaime...

...his ability to unappreciate is infuriating!

An incomprehensible curse in the former's name snaked out his lips before his deathly silence reigned once more. His eyes, crimson blood and trembling with rage, were focused on the world about. Yet in his fury he'd remained ignorant to the consequences lying quietly within the depths of the shrubs. For now however, his passage would be allowed to take place undisturbed. The hunter, unknown at this point, needed their target to be as deep into enemy territory as possible. So far, so good.

Truth be told...?

I could probably run the village ten times better than that bug freak.

[/i]
Fresh off of Tsuchi's gate sacking and a string of successful missions, the Jounin of Kumogakure known as Uchiha Faust roamed these foreign lands free and secure. Why, you ask? Well, it seemed he carried several unique “attributes” very few within the breath of their overall existence as a shinobi ever dreamed of acquiring. This is why he grinned devilishly, moving about with swift ferocity while wearing a plastered grin; this is why he cared not for back up or assistance, despite the international tensions preexisting; this is why he would fall.

...

This very smug pride would lead the prey down the wrong path, and by the time they realized their mistake, power or not, it'd be too late.

But not yet.
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[☆ F ☆]

Minutes turned into hours, hours into days; and when the first week began to accumulate, the prey would grow weary. Where was it!? Why couldn't he find it!? Never before had he been so stumped when it came to tracking something of value – it was, after-all, his natural intuition to know everything (or so he thought), so why not this!? The beauty of youth was its resiliency, yet for this particular prey, whose inner mental workings had his own self-image as one much grander than all others, impatience had finally arrived and settled in. As proclaimed by the crimson warrior, "royalty must not be kept waiting!". So smug.

If I don't find this location soon, I might just resort to burning the whole forest...

...it'll get things done a looooot quicker.

But it appeared he spoke too soon, for as the prey sped through dense forestry, the signature landmark which he was told to expect finally was found – it was the broken end of a boulder, no larger than a man, nestled wedged between several intertwining tree roots. Upon closer inspection, I would find the expected engraved kanji and paint. To many it meant nothing, but to those with the correct knowledge, the rock would serve as a map to steer Ming Yamanaka's men towards their home base after a long raid. A raid that included pillaging and stealing, and most certainly murder. They were men who knew nothing of good, finding solace only in the things they took from others. The most frightening kind of men in existence.

I am on a roll this month...!!

This should make seven families now, more than enough of a haul for what I need.

The prey, foolishly thinking he was still hunting, continued deeper into the trap. Having deciphered the rock's hidden meaning – it was a collaboration between Ming and his brother when they were children, which led to their hideout when read right – he would waste no time in remaining. To ensure no one else found the “map”, the prey would leave a small set of explosive notes across the stone, enough to shatter the readable areas and leave its meaning hidden forever. After about ten meters past, the rock exploded. Calm and coolly, he would proceed without looking back – after all, cool guys never look at explosions.

Damn right we don't...

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[☆ F ☆]

The idea to rob all major crime syndicates in the country came to the Uchiha after an extensive conversation with a comrade and fellow indulger of sin, during an endless night of pleasure. Though sober himself, his “friend” began to speak of a ring of crime bosses within the country that had risen as a result of the World War and the lack of security that once was readily available. With many an area ruled solely by martial law, these ruthless men rose from the ashes and quickly reclaimed territory. It wouldn't be long before the problem was out of control, at least in the Daimyo's eyes. And then, when foreign technology was introduced, the bosses finally where able to establish themselves.

Established my ass...

...they just haven't met me yet.

Confident as always the prey was, having yet to lose a battle in his young existence as a shinobi of Kumogakure. Because of this, he viewed the bosses and their guards as inferior, their skill primitive and their ability minimal. The first six he felled had not been much of a problem, though to be fair, the Uchiha would later discover all of those were captains of his group, misrepresented by those around them. Still, if they were any indication as to what the leadership would be like, this would most certainly not take long. Pleased, the crimson eyed prey grinned – ironically, so did the true hunters hidden in the background.

They shouldn't be expecting me here...

...I don't think Ming would believe his little chump brother to sing.

And sing he did, revealing everything the Uchiha needed to know to lay down the final strike. With this group taken down, the next bosses will either get the message and leave, or just sit scared. Either way it didn't matter. The prey grew closer and closer to the Nakatomi base Ming had established as a headquarters. Though stoic, he couldn't help but allow a creepy grin to etch itself across his facade – he couldn't wait to have all that money!

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[☆ F ☆]

The grin, once solid, faded quickly from the Uchiha's battle worn facade, like a figure of sand disintegrated and blown into the wind. It didn't take long after his arrival within the vicinity to notice the smoke, followed by the flames, followed by the bodies. The scene was, simply put, chaotic. His plundering had been successful thus far and without incident, which is perhaps why his disappointment was so grand. Motionless, the flames danced across glazed scarlet in the form of a perfect reflection, the wide eyed Uchiha letting the entire scene settle in. And then, after a second more of silence, life finally returned to him.

Who...who...who...

...who did this!?

A shimmer, simple, like the passing wind that fed the fire, would be the signal the prey had moved as it could, with a speed unlike any other. Shunshin brought him closer to the destruction zone, crimson streaking against the green backdrop that quickly turned black and gray in the face of the fire. Droves of treasure, casks of blood money, and chests full of coin; that’s what the prey expected upon arrival at the hidden base. And when his expectations were wronged, he found one thing and one thing only – a reason to rage. Silent curses slithered from the Uchiha’s mouth as he inched closer and closer to the chaos zone.

"Hey...!!!"

"Who the fuck goes there!?"

A few figures stirred from across the fire, on the other side of a broken room where a second clearing could be seen. Although their faces were indistinguishable, it was clear they were not apart of the group of corpses strewn across the scene. From the looks of it, they were nothing more than bandits and criminals, all building blocks to Ming’s empire. Yet the ones disappearing…at least from what the prey could tell, they donned a much different attire. And they were moving faster. Away.

…

Time to interrogate.

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[☆ F ☆]

He was still too far to see any detail – thirty meters from the half-destroyed base, at least – but the dark nature of their clothing was unmistakable. The crackling sounds of fire and the slowly crumbling pieces of building made the prey’s cries indistinguishable, but it seemed his voice had carried far enough to garnish attention from the strangers. One, holding a bag, turned to the other, whose goggled head seemed to hold my gaze for a split second. Then, as if coming alive from an eternal stagnation, both bodies shot off, away from the crimson clad warrior and into the protective foliage of the forest. And with that, they were gone.

Do you think I’m gonna make it that easy…?

Words spoken within would reflect the Uchiha’s demeanor well as I sunk into the earth, a stoic mask of battle worn made privy only to those facing their demise. The underground travel would take little as the adept Doton chakra allowed the Jounin’s body to swim freely through Gaia as if it were mere water. And just as that thought began to settle within the Uchiha’s psyche, the trip had ended. He would come up once more, this time on the other side of the base, so that the destroyed building was behind him while the fleeing strangers were ahead. But when he rose, twin ebony was not was his scarlet would seek – instead, it was pure peril, coming towards him in the form of a raging fireball. There was little time to react.

“Shit…!!!”

The curse was muffled as the Uchiha’s body was enveloped in pure speed once more, his figure unrecognizable momentarily as itI flickered out of harm’s way and towards salvation. Time was of the essence as the prey’s reactions determined the extent of my “immortality”, and although he still knew not the heathen responsible for such a sudden assault, by God – and Kamui – he would make sure they paid. Like the flames that nearly bathe his body whole his soul burned, vengeance the only agent available to quell such rage. The flicker, to his west, left him twenty meters northwest of the base, and southwest of the now non-existent strangers. Flames burnt all around, yet its owner was nowhere in sight.

Left? Right? Up? Down…?

…I’ll find you.

Let the battle of prey begin.

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[Messatsu!]

A volcano errupted deep within Kekkei's system, whipping to and fro, conjuring waves of corrosive liquid that battered tender walls of flesh. Its wrath toppled Kekkei's will, bringing him to his knees as he cringed in pain as he pressed a single hand on his stomach in a vain attempt to relinquish the pain from his stomach. His other hand palmed the earth and dug deep into its essence with long, unattended nails. The tremors and quakes within seemed to last for an eternity when it was nothing more than a handful of seconds in actuality. Needless to say, the pain was near unbearable, nothing more than a stigma that reminded him of his decision

"Uhhhgh! So hungry, I-I need to find food and fast!"

Soon enough the pain had come to pass, dampening once again until his body would run its course to let him know what his goal had been this entire time. Unfortunately it had been all his own doing, recklessly storming out of his village in a blind rage in search for something that the village superiors themselves would not give, however, Kekkei failed to understand that their medical establishment could not have paid for his sisters funds with money that did not have. Liars and greedy old men had been the only thing that his mind registered upon hearing that his sisters ailments would continue to go untreated. But to him, it mattered none, he mused upon the subject and came to realize that war was spreading across a great many of lands, thereby money would somehow come hand in hand whether it had been hired arms or supplies. . .

Someone had money, and he'd have been damned if it would not fall into his possession.

Using his goal and the love he harbored for his dear sister, he'd swallow the pain and cast all burdens to his wayside as silent winds began to coalesce at his back that ultimately sent him blitzing forward. Bare feet marred the mounds of earth beneath him, sending minuscule shards of rock into its tissue, but the pain was blocked, only focus on what awaited him within the bastion of trees.

"Smoke", he silently brooded, trying to deduce if these metameric bodies of smoke were of the material world and not a hallucination caused by his famished mind and body. Truth be told at that point, he had no other choice but to have made his way into that direction with the possibility of food fresh on his mind. Roughly 50 meters from the billowing smoke that towered effortlessly over the forest' apex, Kekkei sped through columns of trees, well on his way to a location he knew nothing about, using nothing more than a 'hunch' as his own personal tour guide.

In seconds he cut down that meager 50 meters into 30 before have come to a gradual stop before he'd taken refuge some 10 meters above the ground, perched along limbs of bark. This place was like a maze, but he was sure he'd made great progress, however, his shinobi intuition was hard at work. There was a possibility that this smoke was caused by the cooking's of another, but on the flip side it could have been something entirely different, something he had not expected. Though his heart was desperate, his mind was cautious, which led to the mixing of his hands with a single seal and closing of his eyes.

Severing his sense of sight, he gained something in return far greater, the rare ability view the world for what it truly had been, a massive ball of eternal energy. This sense, he felt the presence of others, "one. . .two. . .three. . .and four. That seems to be it, I dont see anyone else.". These humans were enemies, nothing more, nothing less. They had what he wanted which in turn reduced their lives to mere obstacles that needed to be surmounted.

His eyes burst open, as his hands came together once more, charging through an assembly line handseals, molding the powers of death itself into physical form.

SPOILER: Click to show

1.) _______

[☆ F ☆]

The high-speed movement would end as quickly as it had begun, yet its owner never truly would cease believing in its blessing, keeping up formidable running speeds even after the series of flickers concluded. Dash, slide, dash; safe. Streaking across the now singed grasslands, the trailing flames left little of this region to be called “forest”, instead making way for a new arena – the battlegrounds that would breed a new era. A few more tuffs of residual flame followed but the real threat had been averted overall – for now. Were this some sort of epic moving picture portrayal with music, a fitting cataclysmic overture would most certainly commence its play at this point. Unfortunately for the soon-to-be-victim, this was no game.

Identify the source…

…analyze.

The only momentum remaining from the prey’s old movement resided in his raven tresses, now free, still shaking to and fro despite his still figure. With firmly planted feet he would adopt a firm fighting stance, both apendages slightly wider than his shoulders with all attention focused entirely on wherever the Uchiha faced. Bent at the hips and knees with a small tilt forward, he would then proceed to arch each hand, appendages which were nestled neatly within the confines of dark, metallic gauntlets. Timed with his muscle constriction would be a sudden surge of internal chakra. Although still raw and unmolded, its sheer amount represented the ill will the prey had towards the still unknown attacker.

Establish higher ground…

…look for a weakness, and finally…

Their fighting grounds were relatively flat and open, and with the opponent’s continued invisibility, the Jounin had deduced it was he who had failed to acquire the upper hand. But as much as this was a perceived weakness – at least in the eyes of the assailant – this would also serve as a strength. Sharingan revealed no tricks were present as his head jammed left and right in a near instance, a hurried search that matched the pace of his agitated breath. With no foreign chakra present, the possibility of camouflage jutsu had been removed. So what then – the sky? No. The ground…? Maybe.

“Strike.”

The plan had worked. Appearing as a duped and unaware victim allowed the Uchiha to lure his attacker into believing he was idle and open. Now, as the grounds beneath struggled to break free, that which was expected would now be executed. Flawlessly, I might add.

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[Messatsu!]

With his enemy's position freshly etched into forefronts of his mind, he would act with cautious tenacity, aggressively yet, subtle. With his prepared ritual completed, a faux essence compiled of thick terra now stood just below its maker, walking towards the enemies that seemed to have gathered around a small fire. Three of the four sat comfortably around the billowing flames, Yet one remained standing, scouting the area with his head whipping back and forth and his body turning in all possible directions. A simply crouch from the faux shinobi within the forest' undergrowth shielded him from prying eyes, allowing him to prowl without impediment. With a mere thought and command from the man above, the faux shinobi slipped and sunk into the earth itself as if it was water, leaving him to move about within the ocean dirt and soil.

However, that action hadn't gone unnoticed, it brought much attention to the area, but attention that carried purpose and meaning. The sound of splitting earth beneath the areas undergrowth alarmed the shinobi, causing heads to turn and churned the attention of the scout, enough so that he insisted on checking the origin's of said noise - the mistake. Cautiously the scout made his way through the undergrowth, which only lead him to a gaping hole in the earth, dark, empty and several meters in. During his phase of bewilderment the faux shinobi was on the move as his guardian angel weaved through a third set of handseals which beckoned forth a gradual accumulation of mist that shrouded the area, leaving the men blind in terms of physical sense.

"What the?!"

Frightened and alarmed the seated men raised from their seats, remaining silent as they tried to understand their locations, however, to no avail they were clueless. Kekkei too lacked physical sight, only seeing a hovering cloud of white and nothing more, but luckily he held a sense that transcended the physical world. Using a mastered version of Kagura Minds Eye^'S' he needed not to close his eyes or form a seal to 'sense' and 'detect' the four men in a spiritual sense. Unfortunately for them, that terra shinobi who moved about beneath the earth surface, he too was able to sense them, using their movements that connected with the earths exterior as a pulsating sonar which allowed him to pinpoint their positions. . .

The end was night.

That scout -who examined the mole hole- was fooled, the faux ninja merely moved past him, heading towards his three allies, and once the mist had taken form a simple hand would rise up from beneath the earth with its fingers curling around one of the scouts ankles. The ninja pulled away at said ankle, thrusting him into the ground up to his neck as the ninja himself emerged fully. His guardian angel had now been on the move, speeding through limbs of trees 10 meters above ground level, paralleling himself just above the remaining two ninja who'd been around the camp fire. The small flames themselves allowed for a bit of light which in turn granted them visibility, albeit limited and short, it was enough to see the clone before them. The two shot forward whilst throwing a flurry of punches ant kicks which left the faux shinobi to dip, dodge, and block, however, it was eventually overwhelmed and reduced to nothing more than a dissolving puddle of mud after being struck with a swift Kunai.

Their teamwork were impressive, however, Kekkei's cunning antics were uncontested. With their attention averted to the clone, his guardian angel would avenge his insanely short life. And just like that, with a small burst of leg power sent the young, hungry, assailant plummeting down with dual hands, both charged with corruptive chakra. He landed behind them with muted feet and a swift hand that planted itself upon each of their backs, rendering their body's useless. Not only this but his special clan technique began to run its course, sapping the men of their spiritual strength, reducing it to nothing as it in turn transferred itself onto his own reserves. Within seconds he sucked away their entire reserves which in this world meant only one thing - death.

Lifeless, Kekkei's hands removed themselves, allowing the two men to fall without interruption. Finally, only hand remained, and judging from the movements of his spiritual signature, he seemed confused and consumed with dread, this was the end for him. A quick Kunai sped through the air with a quick flick of his arm, planting it deep within his head, erasing any hope of escape the man had. With the group subdued, he merely canceled the mist, and deactivated his minds eye and came to view the world in its physical form once again. He rummaged through their belongings, and devoured what battle rations they had as if it were the feast of a King. Needless to say the amount was more than enough, for now, but he needed more.

With that, he continued on, heading toward that massive cloud of smoke that still rose above the tree lines.

Curiosity at its best.

[☆ F ☆]

Gauntlets encrusted in pure lightning came alive in the form of a blue hue, a glow unlike any other signifying the Uchiha’s rage had reached its threshold. And in the blink of an eye, as promised to himself, he would deliver twin fangs, electricity alive in his very soul as his ten fingers would release his final judgment. Forming claws of hate, they sought to rip to shreds anything that came even remotely close to getting in their way – anything. And down they would go, where both of his hands met after briefly widening in preparation of the attack; the arm swipe was horizontal, and with each inch less between both ends, violence was imminent.

Now die!

The ground tore asunder as my claws ripped through earth, coming over the essence of the violence. He would have little time to witness the results of his well timed attack however, as the victim that succumbed and crumbled in place – it was an earth clone – was left behind in favor of a new target. Our of the corner of the Uchiha's eyes, to his right, a new body appeared. Ten meters away, they stood still, yet held something solid in both hands. The swiping attack had the Jounin flying up and back, leaving him in quite an open position; before he could land, he'd take note of the next incoming danger.

Shit!!!

Projectiles solidly imbued in Doton chakra flew towards the crimson clad warrior at impressive speed, various sizes catching him when his balance was at its least. It was fast, it was unexpected; but was it successful...?

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[Messatsu!]

A soft, yet, continuous pitter-patter transcended across the land. Bare feet whipped through emerald undergrowth as he used the billowing smoke as his landmark. The lingering pains from starvation evanesced with the guttling of battle rations; though the taste may have not been ideal for his sense of taste, he accepted the solid nutrients it entailed which was enough to free him of his pain as well as feed his reserves of physical energy. Without a doubt he found partly what he himself desired, but now what he had to find; with his starvation at bay, his quest for infinite coin only continued and was ready to bathe himself in rivers of blood in order to find it. His sister was everything, she was the only thing he had left, and the last someone in his life actually worth fighting for.

His speedy gait continued at a high paced run, which, had been his downfall. Recklessly heading towards the area where he though food and money was presence, he had gotten careless, finding his swift ankles coming to activate a well hidden tripwire. In the blink of an eye a quick rope curled about Masuyo's ankle and yanked his right leg from beneath him which pulled him into the air, suspended 5 meters above ground. "Oh C'mon of all things, who still uses tripwire anyway!" He could hear nothing, no foot steps, no breathing, only the sound of the straining rope against his ankle as he slowly swung back and force without control. He realized he'd need to free himself soon as he'd be considered a fool he had he thought that these men had not known when someone or something were to be captured.

He needed to make sure the area was safe regardless, and with that etched into his brain, his spiritual eyes beckoned forth in all directions with all seeing gaze, detecting event the faintest of chakra. Two, and only two, both of which were running shoulder-to-shoulder and quickly began to converge onto Masuyo's vulnerable position. "uggh this isn't good, i've got to escape!" Quick on his feet, the Jounin's hands came together hurriedly sped through a ballet of handseals. His chakra swelled within gullet which then, with his next breath, allowed him to block forth a bundle of chakra nails that battered the rope, severing it in half. Gravity had been in effect, however, victory was something it hadn't tasted as Masuyo managed to flip his body around to land with a slight bend in his knees, snapping a small twig with his bare feet, "Crap!".

With the two ninja approaching he himself would zoom forward, eager to intercept his assailants just as they were towards him.

[☆ F ☆]

Yes! Or so at least the attacker though. Launched earth continued to pelt the aerial warrior midst his awestruck offense, yet despite its precise targeting, the victim seemed relatively unaffected. A little momentum from the strikes pushed the Uchiha to the side, but after an athletic recovery, he would roll, tumble and stand once more. Between the projectiles that missed and whizzed by him and the path of those that struck, the origin of the attack could be easily discerned. But when he turned to the source, once more, he’d find nothing. Wait – what was that!?

Did that figure just sink underground…?

His periphery had not fooled him, for as he turned to face his assailant, only a tiny visage of a dark-clothed head could be seen sinking below. It wasn’t enough to create a facial recognition, but it was certainly what the Uchiha needed to know the nature of his opponent. It was a good thing that he too was one with Gaia! But such a trick would not suffice…at least not yet. He’d keep his surprises hidden under many sleeves until the time came in which the winning hand would be called upon. No, for now, the prey would continue to be just that – the trophy of a predator.

...

Movement. The Jounin commenced a second bout of speed, dashing and zigzagging across the plains in order to render whatever earthen attacks came at him useless. And while he knew the extent of Doton’s power and reach, this was once again yet another ruse; to get his opponent to believe he truly was bathing in fear, running away for dear life and grasping at whatever little strings become available in order to survive. Sandaled feet stomped across the scarred earth which served as testament of his power and on towards what appeared to be a second figure emerging from the ground, some twenty meters away. A new opponent, or the same old one with tricks? Time would soon tell.

“Come out and show yourself!”

Earth and fire. Two elements that had combined into one, and now sought to eliminate him. To say the least, this battle was growing more and more interesting...

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[Messatsu!]

Twin eyes fixated themselves to Masuyo's immediate front, beginning to heart the stabbing footfalls as a dark figure began to sink in and out from within columns of trees, using it as some sort of cover. The second, had been moving in from Masuyo's immediate south in a futile attempt to blindside him. Little did they know their positions had long been compromised by the spiritual sense that never seemed to discontinue. He 'felt' and 'detected' their presence, knowing each and every move they had made and every inch of ground they covered just to meet him. Needless to say, the 7 year old jounin was ready for war.

Speeding forward himself, he intercepted the shinobi that was located to his front, but only to have been met with a spinning whirlwind kick. Given that his position had been known well before his kick came to life, it allowed Masuyo to adjust appropriately which led him to descend towards the earth with a swift crouch. Allowing his own momentum to remain on course he landed some couple of meters behind Masuyo. Both turned around, facing one another once more as the opposing ninja's twin (who'd previously been approaching from Masuyo's south) leapt over his ally with a flying, elongated kick. The jounin's raised and crossed his arms in a way to parallel themselves with his kicked; it held force, enough to push him back despite having blocked the attack. Thereafter Masuyo launched his own attacks, namely a right straight followed by a swift round house kick to the mans ribs.

He was sure that his attacks would have found home, yet, they didn't, instead his right straight was swatted down and his roundhouse eluded with a swift duck from his targeted enemy, and in that same instance his remaining leg that acted as Masuyo's last remaining pillar of balance was shattered. Though the opposing ninja ducked, he also lead with a horizontal low kick which left Masuyo falling and open for attack. Masuyo's back was soon pressed against the earth, looking up at a descending blade, he needed to act fast, there had been no time for intricate strategies.

His mind relinquished all thoughts, running merely on instinct, which led him to form a single seal a split second before the blade ran through his gut. The Ninja's blade tore through flesh, but victory did not come, nor did blood, only the sound and sizzling essence of smoke which soon revealed a thick body of wood. In turn Masuyo was behind the duo of attacking ninja where he swapped presence with Hi no kuni's very trees. Using that window of opportunity where his opponents were confused, his hands came together, forming the needed handseals which allowed him to express his prowess over Doton. His skin morphed, borrowing the very elements of earth itself which caused his skin to darken as it additionally hardened and increased the lethality of his offensive and protection of his defense.

"C'mon you bastards, its time to end this!" Though his speed was inevitably reduced, it was more than enough to bring destruction to his opponents with the help of his Earth Spear Essence. He charged forward with a vengeful taint guiding him, and once the threshold for striking distance had been breached, his right leg came around toward the closest ninja's ribs, shattering them upon contact. The force sent his body spiraling off to the side and into a tree. The second rushed towards Masuyo as if his partner had never been there, talk about loyalty. Nevertheless his end would be near as well, evident by the fact that his own attack landed, but incurred not even a lick of damage and in turn hurt himself more so than it did Masuyo. The Jounin, in retaliation, grabbed his wrist and pulled him forward where he then smashed his elbow into his nose, collapsing his face inwardly.

With both of the men unconscious, his luck of surviving this wild and crazy world was still fresh and seemed to have no intention of faltering anytime soon. Calming his spiritual essence, his skin returned to its soft fleshy state. Looking back to the billowing smoke, its life began to dwindle, he needed to hurry should he wish to continue tracking its origins.

[☆ F ☆]

What was that...? For fear of safety the prey took no more than a millisecond to stare at the emerging figure before continuing his evasive movement, but that mere glimpse was enough to have his confusion levels grow. Though not alarmed exactly, he still had plenty of reason to grow weary. After all, he faced an odd unknown, lethal enough to bring down such a large stronghold, and smart enough to still remain alien to my eyes. It was time for the prey to morph his tactical execution into one that would trap the odd new opponent. With this in mind, he'd alter his movement path, so that he now produced circles around the emerging...thing.

Clumps of earth...

...maybe a Doton trick???

Clumps of earth was certainly an understatement, though as the crimson clad Jounin continued his path, he'd discover the earthen chunk soon produced a humanoid appearance. One arm, two; one leg, two; stumps amounting to five in total, though no real features. And while the Kumo-nin continued his relocation, the odd beast stopped. Wasting no time, the subterfuge would end with the prey ceasing its movements, perfectly behind the earthen beasts' back. Now, to gather chakra; that familiar blue hue would come forth once more.

I guess it doesn't matter...

...does it!?

Gauntlets at the ready, one prey stared the other down, unaware that he too was in the same predicament. Such was his concentration to tear the man asunder that the Uchiha seemed to not take note of the growing flames all around. Though they seemed to fizz out and lose potency after it nearly scorched Faust seconds earlier, they seemed to gain their own energy as the battle between earth and lightning took place. What WAS behind those flames...? The prey would soon find out.

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[Messatsu!]

As masuyo stood over his opponents, reveling in his continuous string of victories despite being covered in dirt with tattered, unclean clothes, a image unfitting for a ninja, let alone a seven year old child. His bare beet sunk into the settlement of Hi no kuni once more as he took off, blitzing through sea's of trees and undergrowth, well on hsi way towards that fiery location. "I've got to hurry, it looks like the fire is about to stop soon, but maybe that'll be a good thing, if anyone is there they will be full and trying to digest their food. Heh, today seems like my lucky day." As he sped through the forest, all he could see were bright streaks of green and brown, but also using his eyes to sift through the swath of undergrowth beneath him. Getting fooled by another tripwire wouldn't have been too rewarding.

He had been making good time, coming up on his desired location meter by meter, but still a ways to go. Huffing and puffing his lungs were on fire, but the exhaustion and pain was swiftly pushed backed to the deepest recesses of his mind, replacing that illusion of pain with the incessant desire to obtain money and food. He needed to get his own bearings before he could truly set out on his quest, for if he somehow failed so early, all of his efforts thus far would have been wasted, failing to save his sister and prove to the Elders of Amegakure that they'd lacked the capacity to save the life of one of their own.

For days he'd gone without food or sleep, pushing his body past the limits of a average human, going so far as to nearly exceed his physical and mental limitations as a renowned shinobi who managed to obtain the forever prodigious rank of jounin at a mere seven years of age. His entire life revolved around making the impossible, possible, and with that in mind, he continued on, steadfast in his resolve.