Earthquake [3].

[Superguest]

They were, nonetheless, corned completely-- and as such, fell victim to the raw power emitted from the clay creatures.

From Kouhei’s distance he could just make out the creations, formed by Bass and himself, surround their targets and explode per their command. Whoever those Suna shinobi were they would no longer be a threat for Max. Seeing them die made Kouhei want to relax, but he knew better than that. He of course had no way of being sure at this second, but he doubted these two shinobi were acting on their own. These guys were professionals. They wouldn’t simply leap out at the nearest enemy without someone who could possibly back them up or on someone’s orders. For all he knew he could be wrong, but it couldn’t hurt to be careful. He already had two shinobi sneak up on them, he wouldn’t let it happen again.

Judging from the direction of their leap the shinobi had come from the hospital. From his angle he couldn’t make out if there was anyone else up there, but there would only be one way to find out. He was sick of just waiting on his building. The hospital would give him the best view and it would be at the epicenter of everything. He got on his bird, which had been perched right next to him, and took off into the sky. The Genin did a long loop heading towards Bass first. When he was close enough to speak he said, ”I am going to position myself on the hospital. I am going to try and sense if anyone else is in the area and where they might be. Cover me. I’m not going to be able to do much while I am sensing, but I’ll feed you information of where the enemy is.”

With that he made his way towards the roof of the hospital. He knew he was going to leave himself out in the open, but he was hoping that Bass would ensure he was kept safe. As extra back up he recalled the three birds that had been scattered around the district. The birds flew alongside Kouhei and landed with him on the center of the hospital roof. The birds were spaced 6 meters apart from him from every direction except for the one Bass was positioned at. The lip of the building was another 4 meters out from the birds. With all his preparations completed he positioned himself more squarely on his bird and channeled his chakra. With his abilities he didn’t need to close his eyes or perform any a seals, it was just like unclenching a muscle for him.

SPOILER: Click to show

-
Kagura Shingan (Kagura Mind's Eye)
Rank: D, C, B, A, S
Type: Supplementary.
Range: 0 - 50 meters
Handseals: One.
Chakra: D - Low, C - Low, B - Mid, A - x2 Mid, S - x2 Mid.
Special: Each rank determines the range at which they can detect chakra, whether it comes from a person, animal or even an object. By closing their eyes and forming a simple seal, the world of chakra around the user becomes unveiled. Upon learing the s-ranked version, the user will no longer need to form a hand seal to activate this technique. However, this technique still requires a large portion of concentration to use, and therefor is generally incapable of being used in combat (unless the user was to hide for a moment in order to activate it).

D: 10 meters.
C: 20 meters.
B: 30 meters.
A: 40 meters.
S: 50 meters.


Description: Kagura Shingan is an advanced Sensory Ninjutsu technique used by all sensors, and serves as the root to the entire sensory tree. After performing the necessary handseal, the sensor closes their eyes and uses their innate ability to detect chakra in order to determine the location of their opponent by the faintest of chakra trails, as well as discerning the size of an approaching unseen force, and even their chakra capacity.
Domain: Sensors.

-7 Creations still active
-All Creations No Longer Hidden
-18/20 Clay Blobs Remaining
-x2 Mid Used

[Leonov]

"Shit!"

He barely heard Bass, but nonetheless, he did; Maximilian acted immediately either way. When he hears something urgent from a teammate, regardless of knowing what it was, he'd run. There was someone around, as Bass had called out, and wasting no time, his eyes scouted two locations. The three-stories hospital to the front-right of the building, and another two-story building a bit more to the front-left. He could either run straight and jump for the corner of the hospital, or run diagonally and head for the second structure. Making a quick judgment call, Max ran as soon as the ANBU corpses were down.

He sprinted diagonally over the roof from his position, heading for the front-left building that was nearest to the corner of the building. Three tagged shuriken were in each hand, and his eyes spied the padlocked manhole-like entrance onto the roof, and two ventilation chutes leading into the ventilation system of the building. Knowing that the priority was the hospital itself, Max swiftly threw three tagged shuriken down each shaft as a precaution, before making it to the corner of the roof, and made a quick, speedy jump, swiftly sailing through the air and lightly landing on his feet on the roof of the other building.

As the shuriken continued tumbling down the shaft, one chute leading three to the first floor, and the other three onto the second floor, Maximilian maintained his sprinting speed and ran all the way to the farthest corner of the roof away from the building he was on, and swiftly did two handseals while looking around for signs of intruders or newcomers. This time, the ground below was alight with a few lanterns, illuminating the streets below Maximilian decently, while the rooftop he was on was shrouded from those below the level Max was on. "Fucking hell, bastards better pick me up soon," the blonde muttered.

SPOILER: Click to show

- 6 Tagged Shuriken

- Handseals Prepped

[marvolous.]

"Shit..."

Sano had been overzealous with his escape attempt, having completely overlooked the possibility of the clay creations following him as he made his escape through the window. By the time he realized his rather small and unfortunate miscalculation, it was too late.

He too would succumb to the power of the Kibaku's destructive power.

/dead.

OOC: All three of my NPC's are dead, so I'm not longer participating in this thread. It's up to you two, Exar and Laz - don't let Suna down!

[KID GAMBINO.]

+ K A B O O M !

And just as another thunderous boom echoed from the corners of the nearby buildings, a simple matter of four handseals -- a two-second task -- initiated a disposable army of five replicas¹ to exhale their first breaths from the lake of sand we stood upon, each grain of earth quickly assembling into perfect images of their creator. From their perplexing composition to their unwavering dedication, the clones of sand were their master's prodigies identically, and would undoubtedly be crucial assets to gaining a field advantage and covering multiple potential opponents at once. "Let's give'em one hell of a show, men." I motioned impatiently toward the next task, a single handseal and a measly chakra cost enabling the clone directly in front of me to share a linked vision² -- from it's right eye to my own. Though the technique itself rendered my own right eye to become practically useless, there was a method to such madness.

[/b] - With my own right eye, this clone was a special one in it's own right, weaving a string of handseals upon it's completion. A platform of sand³ (five meters in diameter) elevated the replica from it's static position through the air, ascending in a straight, vertical line before halting twenty meters above from where it once stood, enabling the original a sufficient analysis of the damage and enemies ahead, and surely vice-versa. This clone's purpose was to remain thirty meters from the visible opponents (Bass/Kouhei), while preparing for combat with it's own string of handseals⁴.


BETA/GAMMA - Hastily, this duo of clones each relieved me of three explosive notes before dashing forth at top speed against the blackened alley of the building (one on each side), heading toward the general area of the explosion while attempting to maintain zero visibility from the airborne enemies.


DELTA/EPSILON - This duo each withdrew their own set of explosive notes as well, but contrary to the remaining sand duplicates, this duo (and myself) negated the opportunity of advancement for the time being, becoming frozen like statues as they stood next to me.[/ul]
From the eye watching analytically from the aerial position, I began to understand the difficulty of the task ahead, and surprisingly, the amount of enemies was almost laughable. "One... two. The hell, just two?!", I said with a disheartened tone, making sure to note the height of the main hospital (three stories), the average height of the surrounding buildings (two stories), the winged creatures -- something that couldn't have been anything except the work of some marvelous jutsu, and the flames that credited the sound of the previous explosion. The position of the intruders gave hints of speculation to their abilities, the man atop the winged creature possibly harboring long-ranged Ninjutsu, while the motionless other atop the main hospital building seemed to be rather focused on something else. Whatever the case, distance seemed like it would be my only advantage in the forthcoming battle... the night was far from over.

SPOILER: Click to show

Rokuto - 30 Meters from main hospital; ground-level.
Alpha - 30 Meters from main hospital; 20 meters in the air.
Beta - 18 Meters from main hospital; ground-level.
Gamma - 18 Meters from main hospital- ground-level.
Delta - 30 Meters from main hospital; ground-level.
Epsilon - 30 Meters from main hospital; ground-level.

¹Sand Clone Technique - 5x Low Chakra.
²Third Eye Technique - 1x Low Chakra.
³Desert Sand Floating - 1x Low Chakra.
⁴______________


Suna Bunshin no Jutsu (Sand Clone Technique) [500 EXP]
Rank: B, B, B, B, B.
Type: Supplementary.
Range: See special!
Handseals: 4.
Chakra: Mid (per clone).
Special: Up to one clone can be made at a time, plus one more each time retrained, for a maximum of five (5). Being comprised of sand, these clones are completely immune to nearly all forms of taijutsu (aside from unnatural taijutsu such like Hirutora and other extraordinary techniques). They are capable of binding and restricting objects caught within their bodies, in which the victim will need to exercise a x2 Mid burst of chakra to free themselves. Finally, Sand clones can cast any known general Sand jutsu one rank less than the highest rank known in 'Saton Ryuuken', but whatever attacks they perform will still draw from the user's chakra pool.
Description: With this technique, the Saton user is able to call upon aid from a perfect copy of themselves. Comprised purely of sand, this clone retains the user movement speed and can share linked mental judgement, and can detain and absorb attacks due to its sandy essence. If found, the sand sticks onto the victim, binds them, and constricts them until escape of deactivated.
Domain: Saton. Saton Ryuuken 'B'.


Daisan no Mei (The Third Eye)
Rank: C
Type: Supplementary.
Range: See special!
Handseals: 1.
Chakra: Mid to cast (per eye) and sustain.
Special: Range of vision depends on user's highest 'Sand Dominion' rank; distance the eye can exist floating away from the user is equal to their 'Saton Ryuuken' range, halved. Although the user must be still in order for the eye to work, they can make an extra eye each time retrained; however, after every fourth retaining, chakra consumption will go up by one. Each eye cost chakra separately, and although one can have multiple eyes out at once, they may only see out from one at any given time.
Description: Although basic, The Third Eye nonetheless provides the user with a tactical advantage in battle. Without requiring handseals, the user simply covers one of their eyes with one hand and creates the sand replacement in the other. Once existing, the eye can float around and position itself wheever the user desires, allowing them to gain extra insight on their immediate vicinity. The eye can only see in straight line, so it must rotate accordingly in order to get a different view.
Domain: Saton. Saton Ryouuken 'C'.


Sabaku Fuyuu (Desert Sand Floating)
Rank: C, C, C.
Type: Supplementary.
Range: See special!
Handseals: 4.
Chakra: Mid to cast (per platform) and sustain.
Special: Range of sand island flotation, as well as the distance it can reach in the air depends on the user's 'Sand Dominion' rank. When the user learns this technique initially, one clump of sand can be created. Retraining after the initial allows the user to create an extra island, though for every fourth retraining, chakra consumption will go up by one. Each island costs separately, and the distance between the user's main island and those extra can never exceed thei 'Saton Ryuuken' range, halved. Islands can be no bigger than 1/10th of the user's highest 'SR' rank.
Description: With this ninjutsu, the user will bring together sand into cloud shaped clumps, the size of these ‘islands’ depending on the size of the user. These clumps are dense enough for the user or another ninja to rest on. During quick, dangerous attacks, this can allow the user to rise above any threat from below.
Domain: Saton. Saton Ryuuken 'C'.

[/font][/blockquote][/blockquote][/justify]

[DEVIL—]

OOC: Exar is out. Laz, you didn't really state how much further you moved up, so the three of us are going to presume you (and the two clones standing beside you) are still at the same distance as your previous post.

---

The detonation of the ceiling was rather unexpected, but thankfully Max had managed to jettison well beyond it's range. Bass was close enough now to make out relatively exact details, using the sporadic lighting of the building's multiple floors to increase his awareness of detail(s). Whoever had entered the building-- and, likewise probably unleashed the explosion inside --hadn't left from any of the windows on that respective side, or any of those closest to the flank Bass approached from.

Releasing three of the newly crafted aerial drones, a single seal brought them to life; a few moments later they'd crossed the fifteen metes of distance separating them from the top floor and cut through the windows of random offices (one of which was the office Adriana had entered). "Katsu!" Another seal later, an series of explosions ripped through the floor while the three situated at the base corners mirrored the destruction.

Coupling that with the tags Max had released into the vents, well... the building got lit up like a Christmas tree. But, as he neared, something caught Bass's eye -- a figure was ejected out to one of the side buildings, viciously skipping across the next roof like a rock on water, until coming to an abrupt halt against one of the pigeon coops. Only a couple of meters out (from his current position), it took him all of several seconds to descended upon the smoking object.

It wasn't until he was a comfortable distance (3m) that he realized it was a person - a woman, no less. Probably the bitch that had tried to kill Max, he thought to himself as he gave her a once over. Releasing the rest of his creations into the air (5 birds), and giving them a more lively disposition with a single seal, he was ready. Coming in closer, he leaped from his bird and crouched down next to the girl -- she was completely unarmed, and barely even clothed aside from her headband and a few scraps; all of her weaponry must've gotten eaten in the explosions.

Pressing two fingers to her throat, he checked for a pulse. It was faint, but there. "Maybe ya'll be of bettah use a leverage," he grunted while plucking her from the floor. The getaway bird opened its mouth, and casually he tossed her in. Plucking her headband from her as the creature's mouth closed, Bass once again jumped on top of his creation and took off. It was somewhat slower with the additional weight, but still packed a fairly decent throttle.

In the slew of minutes (three at the most) it'd taken Bass to acquire his new friend, the area had all but become a maelstrom. The fires were only fueled by the countless stacks of paper and other flammable materials inside (such as the chairs, desk, et cetera), providing more than adequate lighting for countless meters in every which direction. And though the smoke stack sinuously billowing into the air was suffocating thick, it was rising far too high into the sky to be a problem to Bass.

It was about this time that a new enemy had made himself known, directly down the way from the building Bass had just made his newest "platform." Hovering a rough fifteen meters above its highest point, he couldn't make out any exact details but the light from the fire certainly helped (along with the tracker). Combining the two added for a greater than average sight, allowing him to discern: one, that there were three visual enemies, all identical in height and build; and two, that they were hovering on platforms of sands.

With the very real possibility of additional clones being in the nearby vicinity, Bass figured it was best to regroup for now. Continuing on the arc around the ruination of the previous building, he would undoubtedly end up right on Max's southern flank by the time the grounded clones (those running through the alleys) had even reached the building he'd just been on.

And with his previous creations no longer taking up his hand's precious time (all of which are fanned out, no less than seven meters to his east and west), they once again dug into the satchels at his hips. The night was just getting started, indeed.

SPOILER: Click to show

¹Kibaku-Nendo • C1 "Shī Wan" (Exploding Clay • C1)
Rank: D, C, B, A, S
Type: Offensive.
Range: See special!
Handseals: No.
Chakra: x2 Mid.
Special: Creates small bombs for short-range and/or quick combat. Explosive power and distance that creations can travel is determined by the user's highest 'Kouguchi Bakuha' rank; creation time is determined by the user's highest 'Kibaku Iritsuku' rank. When first learned, this technique can only create one creature per blob of clay (per hand). However, each new rank adds one additional creature, up to a maximum of five per blob of clay (per hand).
Description: Simple but deadly, this effective combat technique allows the clan member to use their clay to fashion creatures and animals capable of bearing their unique Bakuton chakra. After withdrawing a bit of clay from their pouch, the clan member will use either hand-mouth in the palms of their hands in order to consume the it, in the process infusing it with Blast chakra. The result are these small animated clay-dolls that often resemble animals and insects of nature. Best of all? Depending upon which variation is created, they will retain the abilities of the creatures they where modelled after - i.e. those resembling birds can still fly, those resembling fish can still swim, those resembling insects can still crawl on surfaces, etc.
Domain: Kibaku-Nendo. Kouguchi Bakuha. Kibaku Iritsuku.

6 creations detonated, 6 remaining!

²___

SPOILER: Click to show

Chakra: x1 High.
Clay: x4 clay blobs.

SPOILER: Click to show

This is a map that, from my understanding of the scenarios as they've been played out, best describes the important areas pertaining to the players right now.

RB stands for "Random building," and is essentially the major parts that the Iwagakure attack forced used to "setup" during the initial posts. RB - B is the building that Bass was on during the initial attack. The space between them has no defined distance (as it was never stated), so please do not diagram any concrete method of determining distances aside from the numerical values given. Moving on, RB - C is the building that Max was previously on and has now been utterly and completely destroyed.

RB - D is the building directly to the back side of said building, where Exar's unconscious body was ejected via the explosion. The red line from RB - B to RB - F is the path that Bass was traveling in both my previous and current post, putting him "behind" Max's position. RB - E is the building that Laz was on, twenty-five meters behind Max's previous position (and due to the fact he didn't move forward, he remains at that distance).

There were no definitive distances given for the two clones on the ground, so I just went with your post in that regard, Laz, and didn't mention them but more so the timing of the events.

It should be noted that, of course, I'm sure there are plenty of buildings between all of these structures. But again, I chose only to label those directly in relevance to our characters based on what we've posted thus far.

Now, with the destruction of RB - C comes the two colored rings surrounding the nearby areas. The orange ring is the maximum area of moderate lighting; more than enough to distinguish people and stuff, like you'd expect from standing so far away from the makeshift bonfire. The yellow ring is represents the area of perfect lighting, where there probably isn't a chance in hell (unless strategically positioning yourself around a building) you're going to be hidden at all.

With all of that out of the way, presuming the posts go along uninterrupted, the positions are as such: Bass and Leon on RB - F; Superguest on the Hospital; Laz is currently on RB - E with two clones moving up through indistinct alleys. By on, I mean they are in that direct vicinity, no necessarily "on."

[Superguest]

From his high perch he would have been afforded a good view of everything going on in the battlefield, but nothing he could have perceived would have been as clear as what he was getting with his sensory technique. Walls seemed to disappear before his vision. There were a number of bodies, but their chakra signatures altered from person to person. Those with the stronger signature, with more chakra were clearly the threat. However, even as he stood there attempting to map out everyone in order to relay it back to the squad things were in motion. It wasn’t as if the world was frozen.

Kouhei did his best to follow everyone’s movements through his senses even as they unfolded around him. His senses picked up the death of a possible enemy and watched another was pushed out of a building through the intense force of an explosion. He also watched as 1 figure became 6. He senses followed the movements of all the shinobi, and judging from how they had multiplied it could only be the work of clones. As one rose up through the air to meet him he took a quick assessment of everyone and the directions and speeds they could be moving in before cutting himself off from his sensing.

He didn’t wait for the ascending shinobi to stop. Alerting his squad of the other forces would be his first priority only to be followed with taking out the airborne target. Kouhei would allow Bass and Max to secure the threats on the ground. His voice crackled over the mic in hopes that Bass would hear him, ”Bass. I’ve got one target off the ground 20 meters up, two quickly approaching on the ground another 18 or so meters out and three standing complacent about 30 meters back in the direction of the destroyed building.” Kouhei shifted on his bird so that the creature could launch him into the air and away from the hospital even as he continued speaking relaying the exact positions the targets had been on the street to better target the specific alley the clones were using to travel through.

As his bird moved into the sky Kouhei mentally commanded his remaining creatures to take flight. The one that had been perched facing the direction of the destroyed building took off towards the floating target. While his other two birds which had perched themselves on opposite sides of the building to the right and left of the third bird also took off. These birds descended slightly and then used the hospital as cover as they made their way towards the floating shinobi. The three birds came in different directions each. The first made a frontal assault on the clone while the other two came from his right and left respectively. With luck he would not have any time to react. Kouhei didn’t wait to see how the clone would react. He merely formed the handseals and shouted, ”Katsu!” His hands then dipped back into the pouch to gather more clay as he did his best to remain a mobile target.

SPOILER: Click to show

-No Longer Sensing, all current locations reported to rest of squad
-5 Creations still active
-Chakra Usage Thus Far: x1 High, x2 Mid
-Jutsu Used: Kibaku-Nendo • C1 "Shī Wan" (Exploding Clay • C1)
Rank: D, C, B, A, S
Type: Offensive.
Range: See special!
Handseals: No.
Chakra: x2 Mid
Special: Creates small bombs for short-range and/or quick combat. Explosive power and distance that creations can travel is determined by the user's highest 'Kouguchi Bakuha' rank; creation time is determined by the user's highest 'Kibaku Iritsuku' rank. When first learned, this technique can only create one creature per blob of clay (per hand). However, each new rank adds one additional creature, up to a maximum of five per blob of clay (per hand).
Description: Simple but deadly, this effective combat technique allows the clan member to use their clay to fashion creatures and animals capable of bearing their unique Bakuton chakra. After withdrawing a bit of clay from their pouch, the clan member will use either hand-mouth in the palms of their hands in order to consume the it, in the process infusing it with Blast chakra. The result are these small animated clay-dolls that often resemble animals and insects of nature. Best of all? Depending upon which variation is created, they will retain the abilities of the creatures they where modelled after - i.e. those resembling birds can still fly, those resembling fish can still swim, those resembling insects can still crawl on surfaces, etc.
Domain: Kibaku-Nendo. Kouguchi Bakuha. Kibaku Iritsuku.
-Clay Blobs Remaining: 18/20
-Prepped

[Leonov]

"Good to see you again, Bass," the blonde called out as the Kibaku finally flew his way toward Max. Before their meet, having done his seals and succeeding in activating the timed delay to the tags, he heard as all six of his own tags detonated at each of the two floors in the building he had just jumped from. The explosion ripped through the building, setting fire to both floors just as Bass promptly collected the person who had been thrown out seconds before.

Max noticed the flames from not only the building he was just on, but also the fire that he had guessed Kouhei or Bass started in the other building next to the hospital. The flames had lit the ground up like fireworks, and any shadow that the alleys had hoped to create were soon removed by the flames that littered the area. To hell with the least destruction, these buildings were offices. As long as the hospital was kept safe, these buildings will provide a good light source for the Stone shinobi.

And good thing too. Just as Bass had flewn up to Maximilian, and the blonde approached the ally, Max noticed something in the alleys that, while once they were dark, had become visible due to the fires on the first and second floor. He was looking down the alley [from a vantage point right next to Bass as seen on the diagram] and noticed a single individual [Beta or Gamma, whichever] running down toward them, and also heard, over Bass' radio, the whereabouts of the remaining enemies.

He quickly pointed him out, about 18 meters from the base of the two-story building they were on and closing, and then he tensed. "Fuck! Kouhei said two. Where's the other fucker!?" He growled, while quickly his hands pulled off one handseal, and unleashed a glowing ball of storm energy, which swiftly sped off toward where the intruder in his line of sight was running. Given the speed, it would explode at the enemy's feet if maintained in just two seconds, creating a one meter explosion right at his legs.

SPOILER: Click to show

- Shoissuiboru (Shocking Storm Globe) - x2 Mid

[KID GAMBINO.]

+ I N F E R N O

The battle continued to wage onward, and from the lack of support in the area, it seemed it was my own mission alone to defeat this meddlesome bunch. To think, those foolish brutes actually had the nerve to pull through with an invasion? Just the thought alone was... exciting. From the protective shadows of the two-story building that I was hidden behind, the eye in the sky provided more than enough information to combat the visible opponents. But then, immediately following another burst of flames and explosions that briefly diverted my attention to the inferno that began to engulf the southwestern building, a seemingly ragdoll-body shot through a window to another building's ceiling. The body's identity was vague, but familiar, and as the bird-riding assailant (Bass) lowered to her location, it became apparent what I had to do.


An intense luminosity glowed from the scattered flames, easily revealing my two clones from the shadowy passages -- but their movement, however, never deterred. The citizens, the female, the architecture... each burning flame seemed to contribute to my own increasing rage, but I remained focused. The enhanced line of sight that the opponents had enabled with the beckon of fire wasn't their benefit alone -- my airborne clone's visuals soaked in an unexpected figure perched on a building in the far-east (Max) and the multiplying flock of eerie birds that the two of the intruders seemed to constantly leak into the vicinity... there was no way in Hell that I was going to allow these cretins to leave Sunagakure alive.

[/b] - In a matter of seconds, the handseal preparation was complete, as thousands upon thousands of sand particles gathered exponentially from an endless supply to position into a thick, menacing cloud¹ thirty meters above the charred body and landed intruder's location. Like one of Kaminari's infamous storms, the cloud rained down with such a voluminous amount of sand that the pathway and visibility between the farthest assailant's creations and ALPHA was greatly hindered. With the targets in the dead center of the fourteen-meter mass, chances of escape was slim, just as the possibility of the petite flying creatures were if they attempted to simply motion through the heavy sand drizzle.


BETA - The western-most clone continued to move at rapid speeds, it's direction changing just as soon as the information was received about the previously-hidden opponent. From such a distance, fifteen meters, noticing the shinobi's handseals and jutsu activation wasn't a difficult measure, the clone beginning a set of handseals in retaliation. A simple leap to the left protected the clone from the aquatic sphere of electricity in just enough time, landing on the side of another two-story building while refusing to lose any momentum. While moving up the building's side, the clone's technique would come to life, streams of sand elegantly and vigorously raising from the ground to the shinobi's blindspots, attempting to snare him in a dense prison of sand².


GAMMA - The eastern-most clone instead focused it's attention elsewhere, toward where the immobile female was being inspected by the shinobi of the Cloud. Simultaneous with the initiation of the raining sand, this clone -- who simply backtracked a few meters -- gave a couple powerful leaps before landed on a one-story building directly across from their location, by no more than ten meters. Upon performing it's own set of finger movements, it's intentions mirrored BETA's own, a combination of sand from the ground and the drizzle resulting in a capture³ that almost seemed too elementary.


DELTA/EPSILON - Remaining stationary was no longer in the master plan, both clones exiting their creator's side to bolt along the same paths BETA and GAMMA once trudged. With DELTA running along the west and EPSILON along the east, for the time being, their opportunity to shine depended on what was to come of targets' following reactions.[/ul]
The original, the harbinger of their defeat, the manipulator and ruler of this sandy playground -- I refused to stay in place any longer either, leaping a few meters before entering a window upon the second-story of the building I was positioned behind. Heading through the deserted office to the opposite side, while continuing to watch the proceeding war from a concealed location, the same devilish facade I normally sported coming to fruition -- I couldn't afford a single mistake.

SPOILER: Click to show

Rokuto - 15 Meters from RB-D; second floor of RB-E.
Alpha - 20 Meters from RB-D; 20 meters in the air.
Beta - 7 Meters from RB-F; ascending two-story building.
Gamma - 10 Meters from RB-D; atop one-story building.
Delta - 5 Meters from RB-D; ground-level.
Epsilon - 5 Meters from RB-D; ground-level.

¹Sand Shower Technique - 1x Low Chakra.
²Desert Coffin Technique - 1x Mid Chakra.
³Desert Coffin Technique - 1x Mid Chakra.

Third Eye Technique Active - 1x Low Chakra.
Desert Sand Floating Active - 1x Low Chakra.


Suna Shigure (Sand Shower)
Rank: D
Type: Supplementary.
Range: See special!
Handseals: 7.
Chakra: Mid to cast, low to sustain.
Special: Size of sand clump is 1/5th of the user's 'Sand Dominion' rank. Vision in general is obscured, and even doujutsu will have a harder time spotting things inside the sand shower due to the user’s chakra coating the flowing body. Sand cloud can remain suspended in the air for as long as the user can upkeep it. Up to one clump can be made and positioned, plus one more each time retrained. However, after every fifth retraining, chakra consumption will go up by one. Suiton and Fuuton one rank lower than the user's highest 'Sand Dominion' rank can disperse the shower.
Description: Meant more as a distraction technique than an offensive one, the Suna Shigure grants control of nearby sand, allowing the user to levitate numerous small clumps of sand above his opponent. At this point, the sand can remain suspended in the air as long as the user wants, or it can immediately become useful. Showering from above, the curtains of sand make it harder for opponents to see, as well as provide the user with plentiful sand already surrounding the opponent for further use.
Domain: Saton. Saton Ryuuken 'D'.


Sabaku Kyuu (Desert Coffin)
Rank: B
Type: Supplementary.
Range: See special!
Handseals: 5.
Chakra: High (per victim).
Special: Binds victims within one's 'Saton Ryuuken' range in the form of fast moving sand around and underneath the target. The amount of chakra required to break free from binding is determined by user's highest 'Saton Ryuuken' rank. Up to one opponent within the user's 'Sand Dominion' can be bound, plus one more each time retrained for a maximum of five. Every retraining will increase the chakra consumption cost by one. User must be still while attempting to bind target.
D: Low.
C: Mid.
B: x2 Mid.
A: High.
S: x2 High.
Description: A strong ninjutsu aimed to paralyze the target, the user forms a string of handseals which will cause sand to rise from the ground and wrap around the legs of their target, restraining them in place with crushing power. The sand will then rise up to fully encase the target, moving at rapid speeds. With such large amounts of special chakra-infused sand immobilizing them, the hold can be used to suffocate an opponent or provide discomfort for the sake of interrogation or other means.
Domain: Saton. Saton Ryuuken 'B'.

[/font][/blockquote][/blockquote][/justify]

[DEVIL—]

Bass wasn't a field medic by any means, but there were certain things that simply screamed: obvious! The Chuunin's spot-check on the unconscious shinobi was relatively quick, namely because it occurred on the path he was travelin' to come up on Max's flank. He knew he didn't have time to sit and check over all her injuries; likewise, he also knew jumpin' down, checkin' her pulse, and throwin' her in the bird wouldn't take that long either.

Yes, the timing of the aforementioned events were narrow and crucial, but more importantly, they were manageable. Even had Bass been slightly off in his judgement, he still had more than enough room to work with.

SPOILER: Click to show

With the very real possibility of additional clones being in the nearby vicinity, Bass figured it was best to regroup for now. Continuing on the arc around the ruination of the previous building, he would undoubtedly end up right on Max's southern flank by the time the grounded clones (those running through the alleys) had even reached the building he'd just been on.

---

The reason behind this is because this occurred in the time it took you to perform your handseals, create your clones, perform another technique, have them come to you and gather their tags, then run through the alleys toward their target off in the distance.

Fortunately, the "sand storm" took a little time to form. Watching the columns rise into the sky, coagulating into a single structure would have only urged Bass to move even faster than he already was (further solidifying my point). By the time the drizzle had even started its pour, the large bird serving as his primary method of transportation was already vigorously flapping its wings in retreat.

Naturally, this also means that the second assault (the desert coffin) was likewise nothing more than a waste of chakra that the creator was sure to be feelin' at this point.

Boom!!! It seemed that one of the clones was a bit underwhelming as the Chuunin's distant-cousin's projectiles would have found their target (being as how he didn't move) and detonated thereafter, surely rendering the sandy construct void, and thusly his sandy rain, as well. That's when he heard something over the radio: Lady Tsuchikage needed help!

"Max, Souhei - handle these guys. I have to go help the Tsuchikage!" he shouted as his bird sailed higher, well beyond the sand user's range (unbeknownst to Bass, mind you). When even the lights from the fire couldn't reveal his position, he sailed off to other reaches of the village. His nasty little minions followed as well, of course, and still his hands were furiously devouring the clay they needed.

SPOILER: Click to show

¹___

6 creations remaining.

[ Exit to E4, carrying Adrianna's body ]

[Superguest]

Things had become rather hectic following the moments where his creations had been sent out to find their mark. He could just barely make out Bass heading towards Max’s direction just as sand began to fall around him. His senses became blurred for a moment and a part of him worried, but just as soon as it had started it was over. It was barely the span of a heartbeat, but the sand disappeared as if running in fear from the sound of a massive explosion. Kouhei’s mouth moved into a crooked smile as he realized his creations had hit their mark. He had wondered if the clone would move under the cover of the sand, but it seemed as if it hadn’t.

With the clone gone he could focus on other things. His hands were already spitting out birds and a seal grew them to the appropriate size. One bird of which was much larger than the others. From his position above the hospital he could just make out some of the movements of the clones. Those who had begun to climb to rooftop were more easily spotted given the new light provided by the fires. He could just start making out the moving sand as he shouted at Max, “Max! Attack incoming, blindside!” His words were clipped and rushed, but he feared if he tried to string together too complex a sentence it wouldn’t leave Max any time to react.

Even as he was speaking he was already sending his birds in a surge forward. His hands were back into his pockets as his own much larger bird followed behind his smaller explosives. The largest bird, one much like his own and much like the one Max had originally flown in on, moved towards Max. He wasn’t sure how Max would react to the attack, but the bird was prepared to fly a circuit around Max’s building so regardless of what he did the option to leap up Kouhei’s creation would be available. The other smaller birds took off in separate directions. Four of the birds made a straight line right towards the clone that had been standing on a one story building. His hope was to harass the clone and force him to retreat, but if the thing didn’t move he would be happy to turn it into glass. The remaining bird remained with Kouhei close at hand if he needed it.

He heard Bass’ voice over the radio. It seemed that the Tsuchikage was in trouble. His own mic hadn’t picked up any chatter that would have notified him of such, but then again he had a rather limiting radio and it was possible that per his rank Bass had been given a more advanced version capable of picking up the channel from wherever the Tsuchikage was in all this mess. A part of him wanted to go with his Sensei, but his words were clear. He needed to take care of this mess. The quick descent from the hospital had brought him relatively close to the burning building, but he still remained rather elevated and he hoped it would keep him alive while he searched out the real culprit behind the clones.

SPOILER: Click to show

Kouhei: 15 Meters from RB-C, to the right of the burning building. 10 meters above the roof of RB-C.

-11 Creations Still Active
- Jutsu Used: Kibaku-Nendo • C1 "Shī Wan" (Exploding Clay • C1)
Rank: D, C, B, A, S
Type: Offensive.
Range: See special!
Handseals: No.
Chakra: x2 Mid
Special: Creates small bombs for short-range and/or quick combat. Explosive power and distance that creations can travel is determined by the user's highest 'Kouguchi Bakuha' rank; creation time is determined by the user's highest 'Kibaku Iritsuku' rank. When first learned, this technique can only create one creature per blob of clay (per hand). However, each new rank adds one additional creature, up to a maximum of five per blob of clay (per hand).
Description: Simple but deadly, this effective combat technique allows the clan member to use their clay to fashion creatures and animals capable of bearing their unique Bakuton chakra. After withdrawing a bit of clay from their pouch, the clan member will use either hand-mouth in the palms of their hands in order to consume the it, in the process infusing it with Blast chakra. The result are these small animated clay-dolls that often resemble animals and insects of nature. Best of all? Depending upon which variation is created, they will retain the abilities of the creatures they where modelled after - i.e. those resembling birds can still fly, those resembling fish can still swim, those resembling insects can still crawl on surfaces, etc.
Domain: Kibaku-Nendo. Kouguchi Bakuha. Kibaku Iritsuku.
-Jutsu Used: Kibaku-Nendo • C1 "Shī Wan" Tora Nigeru (Exploding Clay • C1 Getaway Bird)
Rank: C.
Type: Supplementary.
Range: See Special.
Handseals: -
Chakra/Stamina: x2 Mid.
Special: The “getaway bird” has a two meter wingspan. This creation is only capable of sustaining the weight of one or two average sized people. Despite being used more for transportation, the Getaway Bird is capable of detonating like a typical bomb; explosion power depends on the user’s highest Kouguchi Bakuha rank. This technique can only move as far away from user as highest ranked 'Kouguchi Bakuha' known (which means should the user be on it, the bird can travel indefinitely). Requires two standard clay blobs. Unlike standard creations, this bird can move exceptionally fast and possesses a very high-end mobility and thusly can perform very impressive evasive maneuvers while in flight.
Description: Molding clay into a tiny bird about the size of a C1 bomb, the user can then perform a special handseal to make the the bird expand into a size in which it can hold one or two people and sustain flight. Just like C1, the user can control where the bird moves, but what differs this bird from what's created in C2, is the size and the inability to do anything other than support the user for flight and explode.
Domain: Kibaku-Nendo, Kibaku-Nendo • C1 "Shī Wan" 'C' Rank.
-Clay Remaining: 15/20
-Prepped

[Leonov]

Taking no chances, Maximilian quickly had a backup plan for the Storm ball he had fired at the clone. Immediately upon it leaving his hands, the blonde quickly jumped forward, onto the same building that the clone was also jumping for when he made a step to the side upon seeing his previous attack. Max, having been closer to it and not having to jump up two stories to make it, during his jump, completed two seals, and right before the clone could catch its footing on the roof of the building where Max was then standing, he already activated his technique.

While the clone's (unbeknownst to Max, of course) ability just started activating, summoning up sand from the ground two floors below to rise up behind him, Maximilian already had his ability firing from his hands. From his fingertips, ten lasers fired out in a large dome, all of them rushing rapidly, closing the now-six meter distance from Max and the enemy in just under half a second. There would be minuscule time for the enemy to react, as eight converged into a general area, right at the clone, while two would fire to the side in case of escape, their speed allowing them to catch the enemy should he do an immediate sidestep or dodge. An explosion would follow, and the area five meters around where the enemy stood was ablaze with storm and lightning power.

Whether or not the hit would land, hearing his teammate as well, he quickly flicked his eyes up, and seeing the bird that his teammate had flown toward him, the blonde jumped to his side to the right, angling his arc so that he would jump onto the bird as it would swoop down. He trusted his ally to allow the birds direction meet up with his jump, and upon swiftly landing, he steadied himself as he called out to his teammate, "Fly me back, higher!"

His leader, Bass, had already left by then, out to go do whatever duty he felt he needed to do to protect the well-being of the invading party. That left Storm user - himself - and the Kibaku Sensor. Max knew that his teammate was doing well, and hoped that he would continue using his ability to locate any and all remaining enemies around the field. They will not fail this time.

SPOILER: Click to show

Reizaa Saakasu (Laser Circus) - x2 High

[KID GAMBINO.]

+ G R I D L O C K

Simple huffs and puffs began to transition into concerning aches and pain, a miniscule amount of seconds bringing me to a window on the opposite side of the office building, my own eyes finally witnessing the destruction that blotted the refinement of Sunagakure. The duplicate known as ALPHA had served it's master proudly, but with the influx of clay birds that saw the earthen clone as their choice of prey, it's longevity unfortunately fell short. In a explosive display of fireworks, the intruder made quick work of the being that stood upon his aerial throne, rendering my third eye defeated.


However, the list of failures didn't end there. Before my sand could gather enough to protect the unidentifiable body from capture, the meddling assailant had already fled through the sand drizzle into the nightsky, exiting the battlefield with the incapacitated female in hand. "Son of a bitch!" The oversized clay bird was long gone, and despite the eagerness within me that wanted to pursue the retreating enemy, several threats continued to stand before me in the humble distance. Vengeance was unquestionable -- their numbers wouldn't stagger the wrath of Sunagakure's Human Sandstorm.


The opponents left behind were still alive and kickin', and that spelled more than danger for myself and the future of the village. Where the fuck was reinforcements?! Just as the soldier BETA was destroyed by an onslaught of peculiar beams, I zealously weaved through familiar handseals after releasing a pair of spherical devices to become one with the mass of silicon particles below. Each weapon became engrained into the palm of the lively minions that were their fallen comrades' replacements¹ (thematically named OMEGA and THETA), before sporadically bolting forth to reach the epicenter of the raging flames.


Meanwhile, from the outer-edge of the intense light that illuminated this spectacular battle, another formula of seals coursed through me², my perception equally attended to the onward targets and their every movement. Without the ability to decimate their targets just yet, the advancing clones DELTA and EPSILON moved beyond the flaming building into parallel locations, exactly fifteen meters apart, as they waited for their commander's orders. The lone soldier known as GAMMA remained motionless, no strategy in mind requiring it's performance for the moment. Could a mistake of their own finally lead to victory?

SPOILER: Click to show

Rokuto - 25 Meters from RB-C; second floor of RB-E.
Gamma - 10 Meters from RB-D; atop one-story building.
Delta - 5 Meters past RB-C; ground-level.
Epsilon - 5 Meters past RB-C; ground-level.
Omega - 12 Meters from RB-D; ground-level
Theta - 12 Meters from RB-D; ground-level.


¹Sand Clone Technique - 2x Low Chakra.
²______________________.


Suna Bunshin no Jutsu (Sand Clone Technique)
Rank: B, B, B, B, B.
Type: Supplementary.
Range: See special!
Handseals: 4.
Chakra: Mid (per clone).
Special: Up to one clone can be made at a time, plus one more each time retrained, for a maximum of five (5). Being comprised of sand, these clones are completely immune to nearly all forms of taijutsu (aside from unnatural taijutsu such like Hirutora and other extraordinary techniques). They are capable of binding and restricting objects caught within their bodies, in which the victim will need to exercise a x2 Mid burst of chakra to free themselves. Finally, Sand clones can cast any known general Sand jutsu one rank less than the highest rank known in 'Saton Ryuuken', but whatever attacks they perform will still draw from the user's chakra pool.
Description: With this technique, the Saton user is able to call upon aid from a perfect copy of themselves. Comprised purely of sand, this clone retains the user movement speed and can share linked mental judgement, and can detain and absorb attacks due to its sandy essence. If found, the sand sticks onto the victim, binds them, and constricts them until escape of deactivated.
Domain: Saton. Saton Ryuuken 'B'.

[Superguest]

SPOILER: Click to show

Gamma - 10 Meters from RB-D; atop one-story building.

SPOILER: Click to show

Four of the birds made a straight line right towards the clone that had been standing on a one story building. His hope was to harass the clone and force him to retreat, but if the thing didn’t move he would be happy to turn it into glass.

SPOILER: Click to show

The lone soldier known as GAMMA remained motionless, no strategy in mind requiring it's performance for the moment.

Kouhei grinned triumphantly as the birds found their mark. He was surprised the clone had made no move to try and defend itself, had not even attempted to mask its existence. Was it simply a matter of not being aware of the bombs? That didn’t seem right. He had his birds make a straight shot for the clone. Whatever was the case it was too late now for the clone to react. The fake shinobi had wasted the precious time it needed merely just standing there. With a large boom the birds exploded and with any luck took the clone with it. It seemed of a waste of chakra, but Kouhei wanted to reduce the amount of clones so close to his persons.

The Genin was pleased to see that not only had Max successful defended himself, but he had also managed to leap upon his creation. With an effort of will Kouhei commanded the bird Max was perched upon to soar up to where he was located. The bird’s quick movements made short work of the distance that separated them. With them so close to one another Kouhei was able to speak plainly, ”I need you to jump on my bird. I’ll be able to keep us alive better if we’re together. From there I’ll try and figure out where this bastard is hiding. I need you to alert me the second you see anything out of the ordinary. I won’t be able to react as quickly, but with your help I should be able to snap to myself even faster.”

He waited on Max to join him on his creation. Once the other shinobi did he would use the now vacated bird as a screen for the two of them. The two birds were close enough that the jump should be easy. While they moved he opened the palms of his hands releasing another wave of creations. Five of them were birds while the other five were spiders. With a seal and a command the creations were off. The spiders leaped from his hand and descended to the earth below them. Each one managed to take a separate alley as they marched forward. The birds dispersed similarly, with the one that had remained behind in the earlier attack joining them. The birds soared for a second around him before soaring up even higher and moving forward themselves. The last time Kouhei had used his abilities to sense out the location of the Suna shinobi he had been beyond the now exploded building where Max had begun, opposite of the hospital. The battle had been harsh, but with the lighting provided there was no way he could have moved forward without any of them seeing him. It was possible he had retreated further or quiet possibly moved horizontally in one direction or the other, but either way his creations would find him eventually.

SPOILER: Click to show

Kouhei: 15 Meters to right of RB-C from Rakuto’s point of view. 30 Meters above ground.
Max’s Creation: 2 Feet to Kouhei’s right.
5 Spiders: 15 Meters right of RB-C, 15 Meters away from RB-E, Ground Level.
6 Birds: 15 Meters right of RB-C, 15 Meters away from RB-E, 40 Meters above ground.
-17 Creations still Active
-Jutsu Used: Kibaku-Nendo • C1 "Shī Wan" (Exploding Clay • C1)
Rank: D, C, B, A, S
Type: Offensive.
Range: See special!
Handseals: No.
Chakra: x2 Mid
Special: Creates small bombs for short-range and/or quick combat. Explosive power and distance that creations can travel is determined by the user's highest 'Kouguchi Bakuha' rank; creation time is determined by the user's highest 'Kibaku Iritsuku' rank. When first learned, this technique can only create one creature per blob of clay (per hand). However, each new rank adds one additional creature, up to a maximum of five per blob of clay (per hand).
Description: Simple but deadly, this effective combat technique allows the clan member to use their clay to fashion creatures and animals capable of bearing their unique Bakuton chakra. After withdrawing a bit of clay from their pouch, the clan member will use either hand-mouth in the palms of their hands in order to consume the it, in the process infusing it with Blast chakra. The result are these small animated clay-dolls that often resemble animals and insects of nature. Best of all? Depending upon which variation is created, they will retain the abilities of the creatures they where modelled after - i.e. those resembling birds can still fly, those resembling fish can still swim, those resembling insects can still crawl on surfaces, etc.
Domain: Kibaku-Nendo. Kouguchi Bakuha. Kibaku Iritsuku.
-Clay Remaining 13/20

[Leonov]

The bird had risen up to take the man to his ally, but not before Max could catch a glimpse of his defeated target. To his surprise, instead of a body, there was just glints of glass scattered flickering the light coming from the flames not too far off. Somehow, the body was absolutely obliterated, which really made little sense as the explosions were all storm-powered. A singed corpse would have been left behind. As he was taken up, it hit him.

Finally reaching his ally above the ground, Maximilian complied and jumped over to his ally's bird, and steadying himself, he maintained a watch over all of the surroundings below him, and saw more and more individuals below them mobilize. The light from the buildings was spreading and created more light to see with, but this did little to calm the blonde as he realized, somehow, more and more were appearing. As Kouhei finished, he leaned to him and spoke carefully.

"I used my Ranton on one of the enemies. There was no corpse. Just glass. I have a suspicion that these aren't normal fucking enemies." He frowned seriously, and went back to watching the ground below them. He continued as he watched, letting his ally do his own thing as he explained, "All these enemies just moving below us, try and find the one you feel is most suspicious. I don't think that we're fighting normal shinobi."

[KID GAMBINO.]

+ V E N G E A N C E

From the organized position, my eyes danced from threat-to-threat, counting the enemy numbers while basking in the unnatural light that ignited from the inferno. "Heh... explosive clay bombs? Not bad, friends...", I said without any hue of remorse for the death of GAMMA, a result of my own ignorance. Despite the loss, the flames created by the intruding shinobi had undoubtedly lit up the battlefield like a spotlight, which had granted more of an advantage than they would think, considering the fact that I still remained hidden in the surrounding darkness of the night.


Unfortunately, the little clay buggers were everywhere, and genuinely, the sight of the artist's creations did nothing but taint my view of Sunagakure's beautiful scenery. The sequence called for three seconds at the most, the seal preparations finally being made, and the elevated targets' idle progress enabled the following tactic to surely land without a hitch. Like a tentacle spring out from Mother Nature's own avenging conscience¹, a purposefully-thin stream of sand crept with rapid and stealthy velocity from their blindspot -- directly below them!


The width and bulkiness of the flying creature bestowed the intruding shinobi their own throne in the sky, but the lack of 360 degree vision would be their downfall, and I was determined to make sure of it. With the remaining earthen soldiers remaining almost-seemingly lifeless, not a single action from my behalf could spark the idea of fleeing... the plan was infallible. Once the snake-like stream would touch base with the center of the creature's belly, a spot that couldn't possibly be visible from their position, the flowing current would split into several branches, vibrantly (and simultaneously) constricting the feet of the ring-leader (Kouhei) and his creature's flapping wings.


Unless the opponent would supply the necessary means to perceive and break away from the entanglement of the sand, his body would suddenly become glued to his own creation by means of sand, and with the animal's wings bound and useless, their return to earth was almost certain. The concern of the Kazekage came to mind, wondering if the elusive figure had finally revealed himself for the sake of entertainment, but the survival of this encounter alone was more important. A devious set of pupils watched from the distance, the single handseal itching with excitement as I waited for the sand to wholly encase the intruder -- hopefully the crash landing wouldn't break too many bones...

SPOILER: Click to show

Rokuto - 25 Meters from RB-C; second floor of RB-E.
Delta - 5 Meters past RB-C; ground-level.
Epsilon - 5 Meters past RB-C; ground-level.
Omega - 12 Meters from RB-D; ground-level
Theta - 12 Meters from RB-D; ground-level.


¹Desert Coffin Technique - 1x Mid Chakra.


Sabaku Kyuu (Desert Coffin) [100 EXP]
Rank: B
Type: Supplementary.
Range: See special!
Handseals: 5.
Chakra: High (per victim).
Special: Binds victims within one's 'Saton Ryuuken' range in the form of fast moving sand around and underneath the target. The amount of chakra required to break free from binding is determined by user's highest 'Saton Ryuuken' rank. Up to one opponent within the user's 'Sand Dominion' can be bound, plus one more each time retrained for a maximum of five. Every retraining will increase the chakra consumption cost by one. User must be still while attempting to bind target.
D: Low.
C: Mid.
B: x2 Mid.
A: High.
S: x2 High.
Description: A strong ninjutsu aimed to paralyze the target, the user forms a string of handseals which will cause sand to rise from the ground and wrap around the legs of their target, restraining them in place with crushing power. The sand will then rise up to fully encase the target, moving at rapid speeds. With such large amounts of special chakra-infused sand immobilizing them, the hold can be used to suffocate an opponent or provide discomfort for the sake of interrogation or other means.
Domain: Saton. Saton Ryuuken 'B'.