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Kekkai: Tengai Houjin (Barrier: Dome Method Formation)

Rank: B

Range: Close (0m ~ 5m), Mid (5m ~ 10m), Far (10m+)

Type: Supplementary

Handseals: 7

Chakra Consumption: Mid per 10 meters: Low sustain

Kekkai • Tengai Houjin is a Ninjutsu technique where the user emits a dome of Chakra around themselves after placing both palms together. This dome has a sensory effect to detect the movements of a hidden foe. Should the field touch anything the user will know its position immediately.



Note: This barrier’s maximum range is 50 meters in all directions.

Sithis. It sounded more like a nickname or moniker used to frighten enemies but then again it wasn't unheard of for parents to name their children something scary in preparation for the Academy Graduation ceremony. The Bloody Mist even had a hand in how people were named. "Sithis" she repeated as she contemplated prying into his family name. Clans were a big deal in Kirigakure. Your last name more or less decided how well you were treated. Being a Terumi made things fairly easy but not so much for other ninja families. If she were to change the way things operated then she would need to respect this young man's privacy. Rule number one of therapy: Let the analysand believe he is in control of the session. "Nice to meet you. I'm Shirayuri. Do you know who I am?". It was a basic question but she didn't want this conversation to occur under any false pretenses. She was the Mizukage and if there was the slightest chance he did not know it she would not give him the excuse. He would answer any questions truthfully as was his duty.

Shirayuri wanted to smile but it wasn't really in her nature to do that so she stared with a look of complete passivity as Sithis did as he instructed. No doubt he was fantasizing about killing her but it was a small price to pay for the comfort of a one armed lad. He made a smart aleck remark about money but to the High Shepherd it was a trivial matter. The Church received tithes from the faithful all across the Land of the Water. The village brought in money from missions and Shirayuri still had the Clan's coffers as well. Things needed to be done gradually but every now and again they could afford to splurge on a few comforts for the people of Uradana. When Sithis had finished attending to the needs of the crippled boy, she would escort him out of the clinic before he snapped and did something stupid. "Didn't that feel good?" she asked in a sarcastic tone. The answer was as plain as day that he wanted nothing to do with the lowest members of Kirigakure society. Whatever his response Shirayuri would continue walking down the streets urging him to follow. "What is your name?" she would ask. It was the first question when beginning any therapeutic session even as one as informal as this.

He hated it. Every second of the interaction was more painful than a thousand arrows. Sithis was probably the type that felt more at home with a blade in his hand than a cup of tea. It was perverse that so many children thought the way he did. That acts of charity and kindness were below him. He spat on the ground in disgust and out of instinct the Mizukage went upside his head with an open palmed slap. It was bad enough these people lived in squalor, she would not have them insulted even in their own slums. If the boy was smart he'd continue his course of action rather than challenge the Mizukage. The ninja in Kiri respected force and physical correction and while she didn't want to hurt him for his insolence, she recognized that the way to get through to the Bloody Mist generation was often via a force of dominance. When the cup was given the a cripple, he asked permission to serve with a look of complete aversion of his face. Shirayuri maintained a poker face and merely remarked: "You may. But not without giving him one of these" She gave Sithis a blanket. "Wrap him and make sure he is comfortable. Then serve him the tea"


Shirayuri folded her arms and waited for him to comply. When he was finished with the task then they would go for a walk. An auditing session was in order but Shirayuri would settle for something more informal for the time being.

A husband. It wasn't something that she ever really wanted. The priest's feelings were never explicitly said but they were there nonetheless. Whether it be through the odd gesture or the comforting hand on the shoulder. Shirayuri knew how to read people and read them well. The love was never re-quieted, not even a little bit. Ever since she was a little girl, she dreaded the idea of getting married. While many young ladies spent time obsessing over every little detail of their would-be special day, Shirayuri stuck to books on Yin Release. Even when she went through puberty the desire never struck her. If it wasn't working the Church as a priestess she was on a mission or lecturing on Genjutsu. No it wasn't that she loved Mazra but she loved what he was willing to do not for some abstract entity but a person of immediate consequence to him. It was the very thing that could save Kiri. Empathy in its purest form. Sure the Church could channel such emotions and give the common folk a vehicle to express themselves but at the end of the day only one thing could drive someone to make the ultimate sacrifice: love. And while Shirayuri had never experienced feelings of love in the romantic sense, she was fighting to preserve it and every other positive feeling the mind was capable of experiencing.

"Heh, A husband? I don't think so" the asexual replied. Mazra was special to her in many ways and that was not one of them. No one would ever get that close to her, although now that she was Mizukage she didn't doubt that some would try. "The fight..yeah...It was closest one I've ever had" Shirayuri reflected on that fateful night remembering it as the moment that solidified her rule over the village and changed the Church's philosophy forever.

FLASHBACK AH'GAIN!

The loyal had fallen. Sayuri and Haru had been brutalized by the remaining members of the Seven Swordsman with Shin as their leader. They had arrived too late and Shin had already made his next move by isolating and cutting down the Swordswoman who were not loyal to him. Shirayuri wanted to fall at their sides and take them to safety but Shin wouldn't allow it. The Mizukage's eyes were fixed ahead staring into the soul of the Bloody Mist itself. They were alike in certain ways. Both excelled in Genjutsu and both were known for their bouts of silence. Shin didn't talk and neither did she. It was a waste of breath and focus. Yin Release required absolute attention to one's surroundings as well as perfect focus on the enemy's line of perception.

The two stared each other down. In mere seconds, the battle would begin. Miyako drew her blade and Shirayuri formed a singular seal.

The world shifted and faded to black. Then light again with a thick mist surrounding just her and Shin. A clear field with no distractions. They didn't move their mouths but their thoughts were clearly perceptible to each other.

You like? Its an environment of my own design. Normally I'd have you hanging from the neck but your talents wouldn't allow for such an amusing trick. I guess I'll have to find another way to break you.

Its well made but still basic. I'll make sure you won't be able to develop it further.

Shirayuri suddenly found her hands bound by a tight rope that seemed to materialize straight out from under the hair behind her.

Oh really? You know, even when you were a genin I had my eye on you. You weren't someone of the sword like those barbarians out here. He was of course referring to the Seven Swordsman. Shirayuri was keeping careful track of time. A battle of Genjutsu required the ability to multi-task mentally. Guard the inner of recessed of your mind while using tricks of your own to checkmate the opponent. It truly was a mental chess game.

If you hadn't joined that pathetic excuse for a Cult you would have been one of my top operatives. You're a prodigy in Genjutsu and a ruthless killer when given the right motivation. You would have made Mizukage in time. He circled around the kunoichi carefully as he was convinced the restraints wouldn't hold her for long. Shirayuri said nothing and instead focused on the situation at hand.

Now? Well now you'll share the same fate as Shayuri and Haru. I've heard your extra frigid though. Don't worry Genzo'll warm you up. Shin flashed a sadistic grin and in that moment he was vulnerable. Shirayuri could see it in his eyes and she had been waiting for it since the old man had starting yapping. Overconfidence.

The bounds were loosened as she applied just enough chakra to expel the chakra Shin had used to target her mind but not enough to tip him off until it was too late. A split second later a water spike jutted forward narrowly missing his heart. The old man dodged and countered with an mind trick of his own. The time for talk was over.

The spike burst into a thousand flower pedals that washed over the Mist turning the field into another scene. The Terumi Complex. The corpses of her family littered the area. Miyako with a katana through her heart. Shiramaru's decapitated head. Miyuki split in two pieces. The entire scene felt real and the detail was impeccable. She could almost feel the heat of the blood leaking in front of the family lawn as Shin stood on a mountain of bodies. The Church's faithful. He issued one command:

Surrender.

Never!

Shirayuri was gone in an instant. His gambit had failed and she was not shaken by the illusion. Keeping razor sharp focus she re-appeared behind him cleaving him with an imaginary sword that felt all two real. The old man grunted and stiffened before letting his body relax. He chuckled as the blade remained stuck in his shoulder. It was all mind trickery of course but it only hurt if he would let it.

I could do this all day he mumbled. And he wasn't lying, Shin was perhaps the only ninja in Kirigakure that had a deeper knowledge of Inton than she did. The realization caused a momentary lapse in confidence which she paid for dearly. The blade turned into snake that bit her, paralyzing her on the spot. Fear. The reality shifted once more to the wide oceans surrounding the Water Country where she and Miyako often sparred. Shin re-appeared younger and much more handsome than his decrepit regular form. A threw a punch to the jaw that hurt far more than it should. Shirayuri was slowly but surely losing control over the mental fight.

The blow created a small crack on the side of her cheek that began to spread. Like a porcelain doll she felt her face breaking slowly. The spider cracks spread as she felt to her knees in pain. Her thoughts were fractured, splintered into the thousands of pieces as Shin loomed over her.

Pathetic. He said as he curled his fingers to make a seal. The final blow in a metaphysical battle. But the Mizukage had one last trick up her sleeve. Without a thought, she completely surrendered to Shin's illusion. He took a step back perturbed and hesitate. She had let his chakra completely infect her brain and in a fit of uncertainty he dropped his own defense. The hesitation lasted nary a second but it was all she needed. The Genjutsu he had put her under wasn't easy to withstand and while little time past it was an eternity of torture. It felt like years down there in the depths of a reality that Shin had custom made to torture her. It was his magnum opus. A special made hell just for her. It was supposed to break her but it could not. The faith of Rising Mist stayed in her spirit and even despite the unspeakable atrocities of the illusion, she remembered her purpose. When the time came, Shin never stood a chance.

Shirayuri had broken into thousands of pieces in front of his very eyes. Gone. The shards of her psyche sent underwater. It was an ingenious technique really. Genjutsu within Genjutsu. Then something stirred beneath the water. He panicked as he realized he dropped his defenses. Fear. A hand reached out from below the waves and grabbed his ankle dragging him under. Shin started to drown even though he knew the waters were just a figment of his (or rather Shirayuri's imagination). He could not even begin to comprehend how she had survive the last mental onslaught with her faculties in tact. Now wasn't the time for something fancy, the battle had only just begun. Instead, she'd rattle him so that he'd be off his game the whole time. Once she had drug him to the surface Shin was on the verge of drowning to death. A blade was plunged into his heart and a warning whispered in his ear:

Run. Never come back or you won't ever recognize reality from illusion again.

The pain was so severe it shocked him to his sense. In the real world Miyako had just drawn her sword and the Swordsman were about to lunge when Shin fell down. He was still very much conscious and his experience allowed him to stemy the worst effects of the mental blow but at a tremendous cost. The old would be Kage fell flat on his ass and clutched his chest, breathing viciously as he tried to stabilize his mind and body. Shirayuri stood straight with a her finger curled into a seal. The entire exchange had occurred over the period of a few seconds. She looked at Miyako in her peripheral vision and grinned. She wasn't supposed to be enjoying this but the rage she had felt moments before was replaced with a supreme confidence.

They were going to win. She could feel it.

Shin hopped up as quickly as he fell. He didn't want to look weak but the psychological damage had been done. They were outnumbered physically but mentally they were now uncertain of themselves. She could see it in the eyes of the swords men who witnessed Shin pancake on the ground after what they presumed had been a battle of wits. And so the old master had fallen at the wayside. His eyes were angry and determined but his mouth was silent. He steadied himself and rush forward with his acolytes falling him closely behind. This was it.

Shirayuri was completely ignorant of her sister's crimes. They were deplorable but as Mizukage she would have never have thought Miyako capable of such crimes. Shirayuri was suspicious towards a lot of people who had not joined the Church after she became Mizukage but she could never expect her own sister to betray her in such a personal fashion. It wasn't a question of whether or not the Mizukage was careful and detail oriented. If it weren't for the sheer scope of the reforms she was pushing, she would have uncovered her sister's crimes long ago. But alas, the job of both religious leader and Mizukage kept her busy enough that she could not double check all the Jounin that worked under her. She would have to be left out of the loop with regards to the projects of a select few. Miyako was one of them and anyone that knew of her criminal activity was too afraid of her wrath to snitch. It wasn't that Shirayuri didn't have her suspicions from time to time. It wasn't as though there weren't a steady stream of deaths that seemed a bit too coincidental or amounts of money that disappeared and reappeared with minimal paper trail behind it. A few illegal gambling dens and maybe the odd gangster was the extent of Miyako's crimes as far as Shirayuri was concerned. Nothing even close to the vast criminal network that her sister operated. The pact was made so that if any death had to occur it wouldn't be needless. And its the reason that Shirayuri felt little to no remorse as to what happened. 

"I don't regret it either. Sooner would have been better but all things happen in their own time" When Kamui killed Yoroi she felt a white hot rage. Shin's attempt was in rapid succession. It wasn't just a battle to defend her title, it was a battle to defend the honor of a martyr. The minions did battle with the minions. The priests fought against the ANBU. Shiramaru helped defend the faith and the Church's infrastructure. The Terumi sisters? It was time for them to end the reign of the Blood Mist. Permanently. A shepherd was not supposed to take pride in hunting down the wolves that threatened their flock. It was a duty not a sport. Shin had made his move while she was celebrating Sunday services. The Church was packed and the ceremonial smoke created a dense fog where priest and convert alike meditated on the mysteries of this reality. The would be Mizukage tried to assassinate her via Silent Killing and he have succeeded had not a priest not dove in the way. The kunai was meant for her heart but just before it was too late to stop the blade, the young man had sacrificed himself to save her. Shirayuri vowed never to be caught off guard ever again. Shin and the Seven Swordsman almost destroyed the Church but the clergy managed to repel them without the structure sustaining too much damage. Shirayuri cradled the newly confirmed Guide Priest in her arms as he bled out. The damage couldn't be healed and the poison too sophisticated. All she could do is stare in his eyes and place him under Genjutsu so that his last moments would be as peaceful as possible. His name was Mazra. The Mizukage set his down and alerted her sister. There would be no peace in Kirigakure until Shin was found and killed. The Church raised its arms for the first time and those who were loyal to it as well as the new reigning Mizukage set out to destroy what was left of the Bloody Mist. It wasn't a true civil war in the sense but rather a power struggle that lasted a total of ten hours. In truth, it was a series of skirmishes across the village where shinobi spilled blood and attempted to destroy their enemy's bases. The victory would be decided only when the respective leaders fell. Shin or Shirayuri. Neither had the patience nor inclination to wait until dawn for an answer. It would be the longest night of Shirayuri's life. 

"The night is darkest before dawn"

Shirayuri recalled meeting with her sister in the dark cover of night. A plan was drafted. The sisters would find Shin and his swordsmen and put them down once and for all. If they were victorious those who fought would either flee, submit, or die fighting to preserve the chaos of old. Just the two of them against Shin and Four Swordsman. Many volunteered to go with them but at this stage in their careers they knew this would not be a battle where numbers mattered. The two of them were strong enough, they knew it and  the village knew it. Shirayuri suspected that even Shin and his followers knew it. They were gambling on the possibility that the Mizukage would have been to weak to do what was necessary. A gamble that may have succeeded if Mazra didn't die that night. Maybe she would have abdicated out of fear for her own life despite her ability to fight them. But when a young priest dies finding hope not only in the Church but in a political leader, she couldn't help but ensure his martyrdom was not in vain. She would fully trust in her abilities and that of her sister's, and together they would show Shin that faith can be the greatest source of strength...and cruelty. 

"You remember that night? When we struck back? He tried to kill me but..." It was painful to say aloud. That another had died on her behalf even though such was the way of a Kage. "He killed that boy. The priest...Mazra" Shirayuri wasn't sure if Miyako remembered him. She had suspected that even though he was sixteen he had a crush on her. Shirayuri liked to believe that it was the power of the Book of Hope that turned him towards the Church of Latter-Day Rising Mist but family members often teased it was the hope of marrying her that pushed him into the Church's arms. "I came to you with his blood on my hands. Back then you must have known in that very moment. I was going to destroy him. Not just his body but the thing he had prized most....." Shirayuri paused, letting the moment linger. It was a vulnerable moment for her, after all it wasn't often she admitted feelings of righteous fury. "...His mind" The word was finally let out into the cool misty air.