The Emberdome: Nozomi vs Ryuko & Company

The four clones had created a dome using the Four Violet Flames Formation barrier technique. The fiery barrier was white with a small dash of a purple hue. The unique color made it possible to vaguely see what was going on inside from without. Inside would likely be Nozomi on the far side of the dome and Ryuko, Natsuru, Morikawa, Yagami, and Sakata on the other. The clones held the barrier with studious determination as they watched what would unfold within the Emberdome.

Natsuru bared witness to the speed of the honker as she moved to intercept the arrow before it pierced the traitor. She was not a violent person, but would have loved to see the boy struck. Nonetheless a purple barrier erected around the group as the woman's clones moved into position, Natsuru pulling back her hood to reveal her long, navy blue hair. She marveled as it worked to essential trap them in. She dared not to try to "break" said barrier. It emitted a white energy, one that was commonly associated with the woman's fire nature. She could put two and two together to get a feel that the barrier was dangerous. "Don't touch the barrier." She muttered to her teammates giving a simple warning about what it was capable of. Natsuru recalled the final orders the pale woman spoke of regarding the blonde.

"Bring me her head and I will leave Yomi's life in your hands. Kill her, spare her, its naught to me...."

"...Oh. And one last thing.....if you bring me the arrow girl's right arm, I shall bestow upon you a special gift. Consideration for a job well done..."

Natsuru stood fifty meters from the blonde, along side with her comrades. This is really happening. My life and body on the line to this...stranger. The mere thought made her slightly dizzy for a second as her body was coursing through with adrenaline. She had a real opponent before her who intended on maiming and killing them. Her bow and arrow were kept at low-ready. In a moment's notice she would have a missile ready to be fired. How well this woman was is unknown to the bluenette. But one thing was certain on her mind: she will win. She darted her eyes quickly at Ryuko before fixing them back on her opponent. At least I have you with me... It was relieving to know she had a teammate who she knew. Back at the party Ryuko revealed her strength, or at least part of what she was capable of. She was the strongest out of the trio. "Panther, be careful. The pale woman saw something in this girl. She has both Water and Lightning as her elements, and a decent chakra. Expect Ninjutsu." The benefit of being a sensor is also having the ability to detect fluctuations and intent. Any other tricks the woman had were forfeit. With a deep breath her mind settled. Whatever Simon and the others did was none of her concern.

With the traitor outside of the force field it would be a challenge to pursue him, though she assumed the elite Shinobi of Kumogakure had a way to remedy that. Natsuru waited to hear a response from the blonde, if any, before continuing combat. Natsuru never intended to target the girl. She was simply not her problem at the moment. Being pitted up against each other was the will of Honiko, and not personal choice. She kept a watchful eye on the woman, though a large part of her believed a conflict was inevitable given their situation.

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Natsuru made to fire off an arrow at Bayushi to which Ryuko simply watched in silence, making no move to stop her teammate.  The boy was a traitor and would be dealt with accordingly.  If this finished him off then so be it, at least it would be a swift clean end which was far more merciful then he deserved.

“-tt-” muttered Ryuko in disappointment as one of the sage woman effortlessly placed herself between the arrow and its intended target catching the projectile effortlessly.   Ryuko herself would be hard pressed to block it with her baton,  snatching it out of the air with her bare hands like that would be an incredibly difficult feat but the sage had made it seem like child’s play.

As the cute blond accepted the sages offer to join forces in exchange for the Jounin, no correction Chunnin’s life Ryuko felt her heart sink just a little.  She felt like the girl was moving further and further away from her, to place where her hands would never be able to reach her.

Rather then just simply walk away under the aegis of the sage’s protection, It seemed her new disciple was spoiling for a fight. The idea made Ryuko lick her lips in anticipation,  if she could couch things into a friendly sparring match it would be a great way to make an introduction.  

By now surely Natsuru had gotten the Chakra signatures they needed, the smart thing to do would be to dip out now while they had the chance and report back.  On the other hand if they stayed just a bit longer they’d might be able to gather more Intel.  For a split second Ryuko struggled internally between her commitment to the mission and her own personal desire but before she could make a decision the choice was made for her.

Hearing the sage mention the vestal priestess in such a tone brought a shiver of pure fear down Ryuko’s spine.  Had she really just asked the cute girl to trade the life of her mentor for Ryuko’s own?  Flark so much for having keeping a match between them friendly.  It was time to book it the heck out of there on the double.

“Run…” Ryuko started to say but before the word could even finish leaving her lips the sage generated a new set of clones which surrounded her squad faster then she could blink.  Before she knew it they had erected a purple barrier cutting off all avenues of escape.   It seemed she was intent on forcing them to either fight or die.

Ryuko was smart enough to know that the barrier was bad news without having to be told.  Her mind swam as she tried to think of a solution to their current predicament.  Attempt to break out out of the barrier from the inside using her strongest technique?  

She could blast thought a building with it but that was no guarantees it would work here.  If it failed she’d be giving away her trump card as well as waste a ton of energy in to process.  Besides even IF she managed to make a hole in the wall they’d still have to get away from the clones generating it.  

Her next idea was to somehow fake her death.  Her teammate was a sensor so if she had some way to hide their chakra signature all they would need was a head and an arm to give the cute girl to present to the sage and it would be a win/win situation for them both.  

The biggest problem with that idea was they had no parts to spare. If only Bayushi had been on their side of the barrier they could have used him as a sacrificial lamb but the sage must have foreseen such a possibility, electing to keep the traitor close and out of harms way.

Ryuko almost had to laugh at herself for grasping at such straws like that.  She knew that even if Bayushi had been on their side it would have been almost impossibly difficult to pass his head off as hers.   She was a decent doctor but that would require either godlike surgical skills or a special technique she simply didn’t have in her repertoire.  

Ryuko quietly listening to Natsure’s advice then gave her friend a thankful nod.  “Appreciate the warning Raven.  Let’s hope I won't need to put it to practice” she said simply as she gave the cute girl an apprising glance in an effort to take her measure.  

Fighting an opponent who could wield elements when you had none could be a tricky proposition but it wasn’t anything she wasn’t used to already. The fact that the girl had been chosen by the sage made her wary, but Ryuko also knew she herself was stronger then average so she was confident it wouldn’t be a one sided match.

One on one, she’d find a way to survive somehow but with Natsuru by her side she knew the odds where tilted in their favor and yet she couldn’t find the words to say something like not to worry or that she had this.  Her warrior instincts told her this wouldn’t be easy and she didn’t want to start making promises she wasn’t sure she could keep.

Ryuko took a a step forward to introduce herself trusting that Natsuru would keep her covered if their girl tried anything funny while they spoke to one another.  Considering the situation it she should at least try some diplomacy first before fists began flying, if they could talk the girl out of fighting here and now it would save them a lot of trouble.

“Well met fellow warrior, I am the vestal of which you seek.  Under normal circumstances I would be ecstatic to exchange blows with a worthy opponent such as yourself.  Be that as it may,  clashing now would serve only to put those we wish to save at risk.   Perhaps tis would be best to put aside our clash for the upcoming chunnin exam.”  she suggested.  

“Your master is searching for something is she not? Surely the best way to put the word out would be to stage a public exhibition match.  What better way to demonstrate your power, your strength then a place where all elemental nations can see.”  said Ryuko trying her level best to make a convincing argument that would please both the girl and her master.

Nozomi tilted her head, looking towards Yomi in her sphere of water. Answering Honiko about who she was, she only gave the first name, although it wasn't out of any protective urge. She realized halfway through answering that she didn't really even know her last name. "Yomi.... something. I dunno." It wasn't like they hadn't been close, they had plenty of conversations, and many of them were deep and sensitive information, but the last name hadn't actually been brought up from what she could recall.

As she stood next to Honiko, she was surprised that the woman put her arm around her, talking down to her but not in a harsh manner. It was a somewhat pleasant thing for her, to not simply be blown off and berated. She even was offered a chance to buy Yomi's life, with a new target as well. Her eyes followed Honiko's direction and she locked in on Ryuko. The girl was, at first glance, around her age and height, give or take a few inches and maybe a year, although in what direction either were, she couldn't tell just yet. She didn't really want to kill her, but she was offered a choice if she wanted Yomi's freedom to live, and so she would have to.

Additionally, Honiko told her to take the arm of the archer who had sent an arrow to Bayushi, and her gaze fell on the second target, this one much taller than the first. She appeared to not be much older than Nozomi either though. A quick glance at the remainder of the group told her all she really needed to know. There were 5 Kumo-nin in total, 3 of which were in the ballpark same age range, leading Nozomi to believe that this was a full squad, and either a chuunin or additional Jounin.  The Blonde boy looked to be around Ryuko and Nozomi's age, taller than Ryuko but shorter than Natsuru.

So the genin were Ryuko, Simon, and Natsuru, but she couldn't tell right off which of the other two were the Jounin in charge of the squad. Probably the one with the colored hair. Either way, it didn't matter. The two she was particularly interested in were the ones she'd been told to target. Easier said than done, there were 5 of them in total, and Bayushi wouldn't be much help.

Her thoughts were cut short when Honiko made a few clones, which dashed forward. It looked like she was going to gain some assistance! Once again interrupted mid thought, Nozomi was pushed forward as the barrier began to form, and she was locked in. Sparing a glance behind her, she notice Honiko and Bayushi on the other side of the barrier. "So I'm going it alone then." she said matter-of-factly. As Honiko moved off to go and do her thing, Nozomi returned her focus toward the 5 shinobi in front of her. Even still, she heard Yomi speak, her heart breaking as she heard the words. You taken away the only thing holding me back.... I will thank you for that. They resonated in her ears as she walked forward, tears welling up in her eyes.

She and the beast spoke in her mind at the same time, mirroring each other. "I suppose she's made up her mind. She's no longer an ally." Nozomi had really been hoping that Yomi would join her, but if she'd decided to throw Nozomi away like that, there was no going back. That did remove her need to kill Ryuko though, as she no longer needed to bargain for Yomi's life. The water blast was directed at Honiko, who had moved away from the barrier at that point, so for now, she was still locked in the area.

Interestingly enough, Ryuko was the first to speak, preaching peace. She was as eager to test out a fellow warrior as Nozomi was, although she seemed to think a different venue would be better. Nozomi had heard of the Chuunin Exams before, but she hadn't been aware any were being planned. Ryuko was right, it would be a good place to have a decent fight, uninterrupted and without as much chance of someone getting between their match. "I don't have anyone I want to save anymore... but-" she began, although she stopped as Simon spoke.

As he spoke, she grew more and more angry, having been more unhinged lately than anything, and her disposition having already dropped quite a bit by Yomi deciding to stay on Kiri's side. "And who the fuck are you shorty, to lecture me on what is and isn't a bad decision? You're not from Kiri. You don't know our shit. You don't know my life. You don't know anything about me. You have no say in why I decided to leave. I don't want to even kill your squadmate, but you, I'll happily take down."

The tears in her eyes grew, although these were tears of anger and frustration more than sadness and sorrow. As she set into a stance, she could feel the anger rising through her, bubbling just barely contained beneath the surface, her tears stopping as she prepared for a fight. "Be careful little one. Focus, or you'll find yourself outmatched and surrounded. Let them come to you, one by one. I promised to lend you some power for this fight, decide when you want it, or I'll take over when you need it, but if I have to take over, I'm not handing the reins back to you." The Sanbi both threatened and warned Nozomi, who took a moment to steady her nerves. "Fine." she muttered to herself.

She inched forward a few feet, but kept herself near her side of the barrier for the time being, waiting for Simon to come to her. She'd been ready to rush in, and hated to admit it, but that would have been a bad idea. Still, she kept enough space behind her that she could fall back or to the sides if needed, and wouldn't be backed into the wall. That wasn't a place she wanted to be, as her fighting style relied on her being able to maneuver and stay mobile.

Ryuko made a fruitful attempt at diplomacy. Part of her internalized the fact that the blonde woman could not be trusted. "Don't be foolish and let your guard down. This woman left her village to join our enemy. To join the same woman who murdered thousands of people and burnt this town, OUR town, to the ground. She is not one to be trusted." Although Natsuru was no genius she had common sense, and more wisdom regarding a person's nature. In any case Nozomi could have agreed to their terms by keeping the match "friendly", though as Natsuru stated it would be foolish to lull oneself in such a false sense of security. People were dying around them. Honiko bitterly roasted a squad of Konoha Chuunin right before their eyes. Nozomi joined up with that woman only spoke of bad news.

Simon spoke bluntly about the blonde's decision to forsake her village and affiliate herself with Honiko. He spoke what she did not dare to say, though Natsuru would have been much more harsh delivering the reality check. Simon was always very mellow, so she did not expect him to be as blunt as she was, though he still managed to get the message across. He even managed to get under the girl's skin as she made it very clear. She was foul-mouthed and emotional. Her response towards Simon offended her by proxy. Simon was a close friend to her, and to be talked to like that hardened the statuesque's nerves for battle. Look whose calling who short...

Natsuru would place the arrow that was in the low-ready position with her bow in her mouth, horizontally as she gently bit down on the arrow's shaft. She would reach back into her quiver to retrieve a specific arrow, one with a small, thin chain extension which was decorated scarcely with small feathers and beads. At the end was a small purple orb which was a standard smoke bomb to those familiar with ninja tools. "Enough talk! Let's finish what you started!" In a sudden escalation she notched the arrow and drew it to full draw, her fingers against she cheek as she unleashed the missile. The arrow would soar at a shallow trajectory to end just before Nozomi's feet. As the arrow impacted the earth it would cause the smoke bomb to whip against the arrow's shaft activating the contents.

A large shroud of purple smoke would spread with Nozomi the epicenter. A full spread of smoke expanding seven meters in all directions in a gloomy dome. This would rob Nozomi of her sight and partially smell if she was not skilled. Removing the arrow from her mouth she would follow her first arrow with another, this one meant to strike her. Natsuru's sensory allowed her to pinpoint the woman's location within the smoke, detect fluctuations, and make judgement. Her second arrow could be targeted at the woman's torso to run her through to the other side impaling her right below the sternum. Of course Natsuru did not expect her to sit like a sitting duck. Retrieving another arrow from her quiver she prepped that one with a full draw as well keeping precise tabs on the woman's location. Knowing where she was moving and where she would pop up without Nozomi having anything to work off of was a fatal combination. She would follow her aim on Nozomi if she decided to move. If not, and her first arrow proved successful, she would be at ease.

Natsuru Things:

It would seem that the battle is being drawn to them. An arrow flown true to its mark from Natsuru’s bow. However Morikawa watched how Honiko intercepted by placing herself between the arrow and Bayushi. Granted Morikawa could follow the arrow’s path without much of an issue despite the speed it was moving. Evasion is generally a logical and primitive method to not being struck by the arrow. Deflecting is a refined method as it protects the user from an tricks the arrow might hold. However the woman simply reached up and grabbed the arrow effortlessly.

Things was starting to get a bit annoying as it seemed that no matter what anyone did they can barely touch Honiko. Some words were exchanged between Nozomi and Honiko. Right at the beginning Morikawa can see that Honiko is just manipulating Nozomi. Even going as far as putting a reward if Nozomi managed defeat all five of them Yomi will be kept from harm. However Yomi grew cold towards Nozomi and Morikawa can see how much of an impact that it held on Nozomi. Finally, Honiko conjured four more clones of herself and right at the beginning of the barrier being made. Morikawa knew what it was and that he needed to act fast.

Morikawa dashes at full speed that he can muster after he forms the clone sign to drop a shadow clone inside the barrier. The jounin will dash and slide if need be to get outside of the barrier’s range before it closes on him. With the barrier now between him and the squad. Morikawa took this moment to look around and noted that the four clones are in poised position with determination. The jounin will take off once again towards the rest of Konoha and Kiri shinobi. If anything Morikawa could provide them some aid even if it is just some healing.

Meanwhile, the cloned jounin observed the conversations taking place. Ryuko was trying the diplomacy approach and for a moment there Morikawa saw that it could’ve worked with Nozomi. There was a shift in Nozomi’s demeanor that perhaps the others missed. That quickly disappeared as Simon delivered a reality check and calling out on Nozomi’s biggest mistake. However Morikawa saw what Simon was doing since sometimes Morikawa did the same thing to get the unstable to do something reckless. However no one decided to attack, though it was a smart decision on Nozomi’s part. “I am giving you all ten minutes tops to take this person down. Knock her out or weaken her enough to the point where she can’t fight. Whichever comes first I am taking this barrier down.”

Morikawa spoke to his team, or rather it was the clone doing the talking. As Natsuru was reaching for her smoke bomb-arrow Morikawa decided to help out a little. First Morikawa took a quick ten meter dash closer to Nozomi as that would place him at 40 meters away. It was close enough, and even his clone moved fast enough to get to this point by the time Natsuru reached behind her for the arrow. Building up chakra, the clone places a specific illusion on Nozomi that is designed to cause her vision to blur in the area around her. Additionally it’ll feel like she is sinking like being in quicksand partially immobilizing Nozomi. This should allow Natsuru to have an easier time to hit her marks. Once the smoke bomb shrouds Nozomi’s area Morikawa moved again up to 20 meters closer towards Nozomi’s right side. Yet there is still a 20 meter gap between them, Morikawa is essentially ready for Nozomi to come out on this side. After all clone or not, Morikawa just wants to put Nozomi out of the fight and possibly take her away from Honiko. Not sure how that’ll fly with the others, but Morikawa feels that if they could separate Nozomi from Honiko things might start to get better on Nozomi’s case.

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As Ryuko was working her magic she could hear Natsuru continue to whisper words of warning. Part of her had to admit that her friend and squad mate was right. She really shouldn’t be trusting this woman, and yet something told her she hadn’t gotten the full story yet.

What if… what if the blond’s deflection was just a ploy. She could be playing along to buy time or to learn more just like Ryuko had been tempted to do earlier. Or perhaps she was under the influence of genjutsu or some kind of mind control and was being forced to act against her will.

Conjuring all sorts of alternate possibility's would do her no good. She could only deal with the reality before her no matter how much she disliked it. She didn’t even realize what a hypocrite she was being giving this stranger more benefit of the doubt then she had for someone of her own village, simply because she was cute.

She could tell by the look on girls face that her words where having an effect. Just as Nozomi began to speak and come to an accord with them a certain someone had to butt in and ruin everything by opening his big fat mouth and speaking out of turn with words so provocative they would rile practically anybody up. Words that got the girl steaming mad and rearing to fight.

Giving Simon her very best what the hell face Ryuko glared daggers at him. As a priestess for the god of just war she knew very well that the best battles where the ones you could win without even fighting. The fact Simon had stomped over that supreme principle had her feeling positively furious. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been even close to this angry at someone. Her pretentiousness with Sora at the dinner party didn’t even begin to compare.

“Really Simon? Really? You couldn’t wait until AFTER we got out of the barrier and to safety? What kind of idiot pours more fuel on a fire? ESPECIALLY one that their teammate is clearly busy trying to extinguish? ” she complained cantankerously as her mind raced, trying to think about how she might salvage the negotiations.

Nozomi was outnumbered and had nowhere to run. The more they pressed her into a corner the more dangerous she would become. If they weren’t careful she might do them some real damage before they manged to corral her, plus the more energy they wasted fighting her the less they had to deal with Honiko.

As smart as Ryuko was she still had her limits, the first speech had taken a considerable amount of effort on her part to put together on the spot, drawing upon every shred of experience she had. She’d only been able to pull it off thanks to countless classes on Etiquette and statesmanship she had undergone over the years.

To smooth things over now would require not only duplicating such a feet but also surpassing it. Frankly it was simply beyond her capabilities. “-tt- very well then. Tis displeasing but the die is cast.” she said coinciding that she was out of ideas.

“I Ryuko Shizu Von Rose shall be your opponent this day .” She declared boldly. She wasn’t really supposed to give her real name out in the field but at this point it mattered little. The girl knew she was a vestal so it wasn’t like it would be hard to figure the rest out if she truly wanted to given how few where in active service.

“If we must fight at least tell me your name, fair maiden.” asked Ryuko subtly flirting even in the mist of battle. Before she knew it Natsuru had decided enough was enough. In seconds arrows where about to being flying. With Morikawa running to her side to provide backup and Simon with his sword at the ready it was clear they intended to gang up on the poor girl.

The idea left a taste of bitter displeasure in Ryuko’s mouth. She understood on an intellectual level that they where ninja which meant they weren’t necessarily supposed to fight fair but again she was a priestess of the god of just war which meant she preferred to fight honorably whenever possible. All the talk about the chunnin exam hadn’t been a lie, she really had thought it would be the best way to have a one on one match with this woman.

Her only consolation was that going by what going by Mori’s orders they wanted to take the girl alive. That gave her hope that somehow, someway things could work out and that one day they’d be able to talk with each other under less trying circumstances.

Ryuko dashed after the missile that Natsuru had just released following just behind it by one short step. As she ran she activated her clear mind technique and slipped into the spring chant style of fighting so that she could see and react with as much clarity as possible so that if her target moved to dodge the oncoming arrow she could adjust her own attack accordingly. Then when she got to within fifteen meters she leaped into the air with as much strength as her legs could muster.

On her way up she reached a height of over six and half feet, enough to be notably competitive in the Olympic woman’s high jump competition. At the apex she stretched out her right leg into a flying side kick, her body posed to decrease wind resistance as much as possible so that she came crashing down towards Nozomi at high speed. That way she would arrive before the arrow could land and release it’s smoky content obsuring her target from view.

Ryuko was intent on attempting to land her foot straight into the girls gut so that she could hopefully knock the wind right out of her sails. She was holding back a bit by not throwing her chakra enhanced strength into the mix. Afte all she wanted to knock Nozomi out not cripple her.

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This was not good. He despised being confined even under the best of circumstances. Now, now he was trapped in a dome with people he barely knew and a psychotic woman with enough power to level a small village. He was already feeling the first tendrils work their way under his skin, forcing him to clench his hands into fists to keep them shaking. Why did he have to accept this mission, why couldn't he have just stayed----no, no he couldn't let those thoughts creep in and distract him from the mission. Distraction here could mean death.

He took a deep breath and checked over the situation. They had a single opponent and a possible traitor to contend with. Four clones were currently keeping them confined into a limited space, but that also meant their enemies were confined as well. He glanced up from his thoughts as he heard someone yell. It seemed like one of his teammates had spoken and another had deemed their words foolish for whatever reason.

Caution was needed here, any wanderer knew that an animal was at their most dangerous when defending their young, or when cornered. Then everything was in motion and he had the choice to either stand back, or act. The others seemed to be focusing on the main threat, Nozomi, and so that left the defector to deal with. He felt the Earth beneath his feet and took strength in it. No matter what kind of cage this was, the Earth was still holding him up and he borrowed that strength now as he moved towards the Traitor.

(I apologize for how short this is, I've been having a very difficult time following what's happening since the Valley)

Her eyes shifted over the group as they seemed to decide that attacking her was what they were going to do. Nearly the entire force mobilized, with one of the older ones, one she'd assumed to be a Jounin, and the one in charge of the entire operation stood back to watch. That solidified her thoughts, the ones who mobilized were the actual team, although now that Simon stood up to face her, she realized he was a lot taller than originally interpreted. It didn't matter, she'd still refer to him as shorty for the time being. Answering Ryuko's question, the only one she felt like responding to, Nozomi pointed a thumb at herself. "Nozomi Himitsu." she said shortly, giving her full name to the girl who had given hers.

As Natsuru reached for an arrow, Nozomi's attention shifted towards the colored hair jounin, who bolted forward. This was only a clone, she knew that much. As the genjutsu washed over her, she began to feel like she was sinking, standing in quicksand. It startled her for a moment, but she felt a wave of chakra surge through her that was not her own. It was vile and powerful, overwhelming her temporarily and quickly disrupted the genjutsu as it shifted through her, her own chakra being disrupted by it.

"That one uses genjutsu little one. This is your one get out of jail free card, with some of my own chakra. Next time I help you, I'm taking over." the voice spoke in her mind, instantaneous but not fast. It was a weird thing, having an instant idea of the conversation, no time passing. It was obvious that the 3 tails didn't want to die, but also held the ability to take over if it wanted to. Perhaps in a non combat situation, it was unable to do so for some reason, but she was emotionally volatile right now.

The gift of the 3 tails chakra, if it could be called that, strengthened her immensely. She felt the surge of chakra enhancing her, her nails and teeth sharpening. If any had the eye for it, or a sensory jutsu, they could tell that her chakra was no longer just her own, a red cloak of chakra visible only to those that could sense it formed around her, full of the vile demon's chakra. Her normally unusual eyes of blue with a ring of green surrounded by the green dots shifted, forming an even more unusual eye. The whites and the pupil of her eye shifted to a dull brick red color, ringed by black periodically, while her iris shifted to a luminescent yellow.

Her thoughts were almost full of the single thought to survive. She would kill if necessary, but this was much more defensive in nature than Nozomi's usual offensive nature. The two ideals meshed fairly well, and became a thought to beat them to survive. The transformation was fast, almost instantaneously.

She began to form a bird seal as the first arrow was launched, the pathway of the arrow ending in front of her, and what appeared to be Cherry Blossom petals issued from her hands, spinning to life and rotating around her body, giving her a safety ring a meter around her. The petals took up a space of another ring a half meter thick, dotting the area with their number, millions of the paper thin and tiny petals floating and spinning violently. They weren't very dangerous at the moment, more dangerous once launched, but they could be a deterrent from running directly into her, as nobody knew precisely how they functioned and operated. Despite not being as dangerous as they could be now, they were sharp, and running through them would probably not be pleasant and result in a lot of razor like cuts.

She had been preparing for Simon to be right in front of her and attack, but he disappeared from her vision, and her eyes widened and she would throw herself forward as she formed the Half Bird seal, releasing a wave of petals 2 meters wide, and about 3 meters tall, with more of the petals focused on the 1/2 meter ends and peak aimed behind her, although with the sheer number of them, it would be hard to tell by looking at it. It wasn't like she knew he was there, he could have been somewhere else, but she didn't see him in front of her, and had noticed a slight blur of motion.

If he continued his swing, he'd still be caught in the blast of petals, cut up by a large amount of petals blades, and bleeding quite severely, although he would have succeeded in his slash, grazing her side with a nasty slash, although not quite as bad as intended more than likely, but her petals would have launched him back a bit as a nearly literal wall of blades slammed into him, probably damaging him more than his slash would her.

If he did or didn't slash her, Nozomi would lurch forward, catching herself in a little bit of a stumble from having thrown herself forward in the first place. Ryuko and the first arrow would then come in, and that's what she was really interested in. As Ryuko came in, the arrow a little below and behind her, Nozomi would use her own forward momentum and a twist, the Spring Chant style she'd been familiar with all her life one that had optimized her movements to only moving slightly here and there. As Ryuko came in, Nozomi's twist would have shifted her right out of the kick zone to her gut, and she'd drop fast to snatch the arrow from the ground before it impacted, meaning the smoke bomb wouldn't collide with the ground and go off. The way she grabbed it trapped the bomb's attached wire in her palm, giving it little to no wiggle room, which meant any further impact with the arrow wouldn't cause it to go off unless it was struck directly.

The twist would continue around as Nozomi continued to a spin, trying to grab the back of Ryuko's shirt and pull her back into the arrow in her other hand, to try and stab her then and there. A single arrow to the back wasn't going to be incredibly lethal, but it would slow her down a bit with some pain, and cause quite an annoyance. Ryuko, despite being her target, was not someone she really wanted to kill, and she needed to deal with the arrow girl if she wanted to enjoy a fight with Ryuko. Either way, she'd try and then interpose Ryuko between her and Natsuru if she caught her, or stay between Natsuru and Ryuko in case the sniper tried to launch another arrow. The chance that it could miss might be enough to dissuade another launch.

Mastered Initial Jinchuuriki Mode Activated: 1/5 Post

-1 Spring Chant
-5 Petal Shuriken Technique
Stamina: 80/80 -> 106/106 -> 100/106

Jutsu used:

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UA's:

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Stats:

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Her first arrow left her bow as everyone in her squad sprung into action at a blink of an eye. Simon worked for a flank as Ryuko approached from the front. Natsuru had a feeling this fight would end almost the moment it started. There was simply too many of them versus the lone Genin. Even the handful of Chuunin and Jounin managed to give Honiko a difficult time. Natsuru had Simon, who was supposedly Chuunin, Mori a Jounin, and Ryuko who had proven to be even more powerful than herself. In any case one attack would land and that would spell the end for the blonde. This was for any normal circumstance. It was at the crack of combat did Natsuru feel a significant change in the woman's chakra. Her mild reserves growing substantially as a more sinister nature took over. The chakra was hot and spiteful, Natsuru's first time feeling such an irregular strength. Visually Natsuru witnessed Nozomi's form change as the chakra was represented physically on Nozomi as a red aura. This isn't normal...what is this energy? Natsuru was less concerned and more intrigued. Although her chakra reserves increased they were still inferior to that of Simon.

Alas, Natsuru opted out of drawing her next arrow as she witnessed Nozomi take on her allies and manage to even snatch her own arrow out of the air before it hit base and shrouding the area in smoke. Trotting forwards she would clear some room, standing twenty meters from Nozomi to allow less time to react. Natsuru smirked at the sight of her attack failing. Regardless of that, Nozomi was still outnumbered and Natsuru did not come unprepared. Setting her bow down standing upright it fell naturally against her ample bosom holding the bow and preventing it from falling onto the heart. Natsuru worked to weave three short hand seals finishing with the Tiger. Let's see you catch this one... Picking up her bow again in her right hand she positioned herself to fire another missile. She held nothing in her off-hand as she grabbed the bowstring, however when she drew the bow, an arrow would begin to materialize out of pure chakra. From the fletchings all the way up to the broadhead at full draw. The arrow was blue and ethereal with translucent blue wisps spiraling around it.

Natsuru would unleash this energy arrow this time looking to run Nozomi through the upper torso. The arrow would enter through her rib and skewer her across out her other side in attempts to run her heart through. The arrow would not only prove to be better at penetration than the iron broadheads, this arrow having the tenacity to cut through two sets of ribs before ending briefly out the other side of her body. On top of that, the raw chakra nature of the arrow allowed it to burn the foreign flesh of her enemies. As the arrow left her bow she kept an especially close eye on the chakra and physical location on Nozomi. This arrow was in complete control of the archer. Given how close the conflict was, if any of her allies were in harms way she could easily dispel the arrow at a moment's notice. Of course, she did not expect her allies to be as clumsy as predicted.

Natsuru Things:

The change of events escalated from the moment Morikawa felt the genjutsu was broken. It wasn’t the fact that it was broken since it was a simple illusion, but rather this illusion was crushed by an overwhelming force. At first the jounin thought it was Honiko’s doing, but the clones nor Honiko herself hasn’t moved a muscle. Not unless she developed some unseen force the transmit her chakra, but Mori holds large knowledge in many topics especially with medicine, ninjutsu, genjutsu, and more. There are only a few things that Morikawa doesn’t know about, and whatever just happened came from Nozomi.

Vast amounts of paper thin petals that are made out of chakra from the looks of it erupted from Nozomi’s body. Along with the vile presence that shrouds the air, they spread out as Simon moved to flank Nozomi at high speeds. The petals condense to a decent sized barrier of razor edged tiny blades. For a moment Morikawa felt a spark in his mind, but seeing Ryuko’s taking action it is a strong attack. But whether she lands that attack or not it’ll leave her open for a counter. Morikawa is already leaping off the ground using his speed and strength to his advantage. As he rises up in the air the jounin reaches into his hip pouch to retrieve a pepper bomb that appears to be a sphere. Morikawa also grabs a flash bomb with the same hand.

The jounin will attempt to throw both bombs while leaping about six meters above both Ryuko and Nozomi.. As Nozomi moved quickly to snatch the arrow and nimbly evaded Ryuko’s strong attack. Both bombs will already be between Ryuko and Nozomi just above their heads. So when Nozomi goes to grab for Ryuko’s shirt to stab Ryuko with the arrow, it was that moment when the arrow would instead pierce into the flash bomb as it falls at the right point. The bomb also goes off and releases a blinding flash as Natsuru’s chakra arrow sails to Nozomi’s direction. Ryuko should be fine from the flash, but least to say it’ll disrupt Nozomi’s momentum one way or another. For the pepper bomb will continue to fall and breaks upon impact on the ground. Releasing the pepper mist spreads out to fill the 10 cubic meter. It is possible that the bomb and the realization of what happened would cause the arrow to stop from piercing into Ryuko.

Should this bomb miss, the pepper bomb would bounce off from the flash and smacks Nozomi on the face. It doesn’t shatter, but it cracks under the force and releases the red gas point blank. In which case both bombs fall to the ground creating a dazzling flash with the rest of the pepper mist filling the area. All while Mori continues to arcs his leap a good 12 meters away from Nozomi in order to stay away from bomb’s radius. Of course he made sure to close his eyes temporarily to allow the flash pass by without hindering his sight. In any case Morikawa will land on his feet and quickly spin to face towards Nozomi’s direction. Granted this may prove to be a hindrance to his teammates who are more close ranged, but least to say they can see what is in the mist.

[OOC: Clone used 1 Flash Bomb and 1 Pepper Bomb]

Now that it had come to this Ryuko wanted to finish the battle as quickly as possible. Normally she’d want to savor the feeling of a good match against a worthy foe but now just wasn’t the time. Dealing with Honiko took priority over her personal feelings and right now they had a unique widow of opportunity to do just that.

The Albion woman had made a shadow clone of herself splitting her chakra in half. After that overwhelming powerful fire jutsu they had both used she had gone on to generate another three clones in order to entrap them dividing her chakra even further.

Her reserves must have been monstrous at full strength, but by now she had to be running on fumes. She was dangerous with a capital D. If they missed this chance to go after her while she was low on fuel they might never get a second one.

Nozomi obliged her request by stating her name. Taking the fact she didn’t seem to take offense at being called a fair maiden by another girl and filing it away for later she watched with interest as the blonds eyes shifted color and form wondering if she was using a dojutsu of some kind or maybe some kind of special booster.

Ryuko was already in the process of taking to the air as the petals began to form from Nozomi’s hands. Her first thought was that maybe it was some kind of genjutsu. A variant of the Mirror Flower Water perhaps, but the way Nozomi was using it as a defensive ward suggested that they where actual physical in nature not merely an illusion.

Ryuko was slightly worried about what would happen if she tried to punch or kick thought them. Her knights gloves and stockings where tough, better then what you could find in a normal store even but they where meant to be the under armor for when her full suit was finished which meant they had their limits.

It seemed she was worried for nothing however as Nozomi send the majority of the petals behind her even as she lurched forward in an attempt to avoid the slash of Simon’s steel. That left the airspace around Ryuko clear as she swooped in.

It fast became clear to her that that if she continued on her current course her foot would never hit it’s target. Nozomi had already begun twisting out of the way. That was fine as far as Ryuko was concerned. Her dragon drop had been meant as more of a greeting then a truly serious attack. Want she really wanted was to gauge her opponents reaction and response time so she could adjust herself accordingly.

She was pleasantly surprised to see the tell a tale signs of someone else using the spring chant fighting style. Unlike the Arhat fist which just about everyone seemed to know Spring chant was esoteric, practiced only by those seeking the deepest mastery martial arts had to offer. She was a more worthy rival then Ryuko could ever ask for, yet all the more reason she wished she could have a one on one match with this woman.

Ryuko was just starting to go past Nozomi when the blond made her move gabbing at the back of her shirt. The level of strength she was exerting was close to Ryuko’s own. She could have gotten out of the hold if she had truly wanted but in this case she allowed herself to be pulled closer so that she could attempt to clock the girl in the face with the back of her right elbow as hard as she could, even as Mori inserted his own flash bomb into the mix. At this range it would be pretty hard for her to miss.

If Mori’s trick worked Ryuko would be safe from the sudden flash of light by virtue to her having her backed turned to it and if not the arrow would simply hit the Hauberk she was wearing and snap on contact unable to penetrate iron chainmail, let alone the Gambeson she was wearing beneath it.

The pepper bomb was another story as the next moment Ryuko found herself enveloped in a cloud of black smoke. It made her eyes string, and her throat burn to the point she had to suppress the urge to cough. Natsuru was busy with her arrows and Simon with his sword so the source had to be Mori. He knew she was heavy assault, what the heck was he thinking hindering her when she was at her most effective range? If she got out of this she was going to have some very choice words with him.

Stats:

He was bombarded by shouts and crashes on all sides, the field becoming a myriad of chaos. He didn't like this one bit. He was too exposed, too in the open where avenues of attack multipied by the second. Underground it was more straight forward. Even a forested area would have provided more cover.

He looked up from his sprint and saw his target in the distance. They appeared to already be combatting against one of the team. Ryuko, or Ryuki, or something similar. At least they would stand a better chance as a united front, he thought. He adjusted his trajectory and made to come at the skirmish from the side. The heavy iron of his bracers gave him resolve, there was enduring truth in their presence, and he would bring that presence to bear against their foe.

He heard the telltale whoosh of an arrow in flight as he closed the distance. He gave a wince as he realized that it had come from the same location as the first. When fighting from a distance you couldn't stay in one place like that. The second, the second that arrow took flight, your position was revealed. You either had to stay and leave yourself as a target, or you had to stay on the move. He chalked it up to inexperience and pushed the last few feet to join the fight with his stave held at the ready.

It appeared, it didn't matter what she did. There was no situation in which she was going to come out of this match alive. Even with the additional power of the 3 Tails, these guys actually seemed to have some skill, even she couldn't deny it. One on one, she would be fine, but as a group, there was nothing she could do. Attacking one left her open for another attack, defending would just drain her down. Honiko had played her. She wanted her to lose, she wanted her to die.

It was too late, there was nothing she could do about the situation. Simon had dodged her petals, leaping over them or something, and launched a Raiton technique at her. She'd already committed to grabbing Ryuko, the only option she would have had otherwise was to stop attacking and retreat. Her only recourse would be to try and pull Ryuko into the Lightning Bolt as a shield in front of her.

As she was attempting this, she saw the flash bomb appear in front of her, and turned her head to the side, knowing exactly what it was. As she was closing her eyes, the pepper bomb also came into her view. "Shit."

Everything came to a head at that moment. She grabbed onto Ryuko's collar, pulling her back just as the bombs went off, her eyes closed and her breathe held as fast as she could. She got clocked in the face by Ryuko's elbow, which had some decent force behind it, and would have let go on instinct had she also not just been blasted by a bolt of electricity, not quite able to pull her into the way of the jutsu. Her grip tightened as her muscles seized up, the current potentially also travelling to Ryuko due to their proximity.

As the clone of Simon moved towards her to grab the sword, Nozomi's muscles had relaxed and she was about to make a fast attack towards him, until she felt something pierce her armor, driving straight into her heart. Gasping at the sudden sharp pain, she released Ryuko, grabbing at the arrow and ripping it out of her chest. Blood shot out of the wound, and Simon's clone brought the sword down on her back, her armor doing a little to mitigate the slash, but it didn't matter.

He too cut deep into her, and she stumbled forward, towards Ryuko. This wasn't how any of it was supposed to go. She had wanted a fight, but this was suicide. Forcing her to take them all on alone. She didn't want to die. She wasn't ready to die. Not now, and not alone like she was.

Turning to face Natsuru, her rage boiled over, face contorted with pain and anger. The blood was pouring from her chest wound at an alarming rate, and she was feeling the loss. Stumbling a little, she took a step, assuming Simon's clone didn't do anything further to stop her. The step was incredibly unsteady, and she fell to a knee. Her strength was leaving her. "I don't want to die.." she muttered weakly. She tried to stand again, to push forward, to fight or to flee if possible. At least to get revenge.

Her body fell forward, and she collapsed on the ground, her arms barely catching herself. Her thoughts shifted from being afraid to die, to anger and resentment by being shot down by a Kumo-nin who didn't even have the courage to come and fight her, choosing to shoot her from a range and not even risk herself. Because of that bitch, she was going to die here, alone, and without even a fair fight.

"You're not alone." she heard a voice speak to her, with a fierceness she hadn't heard from it before. The 3 Tails spoke in her head, and she felt a surge of chakra run through her as it awakened further. "I gave you a chance to do things your way, now I'm taking the reins, before you get us both killed." His chakra flooded through her, boiling her insides, making her feel like she was on fire. However, it was a weird sensation, as even though it was malicious, it appeared to be aiding her, bringing back strength to her body.

The bleeding stopped. Amidst the burning, she felt an itch, as her wounds stitched back up. The burns from the Raiton technique disappeared. Her heart beat again, no longer spraying blood with it's beating, as it had been. It continued to pick up pace, beating faster and faster, until she thought her heart was going to explode. Her eyes flashed dangerously as life was renewed in her. The vile chakra that surrounded her began to form into a visible, tangible substance. It was as if Orange bubbles of chakra formed around her, merging into one another.

The cloak of chakra took hold, and she felt a pressure in the back of her mind as the 3 Tails tried to assert it's will on her, tried to take over control. Through sheer force of will and anger, she pushed back, her focus now intently on Natsuru. "We get her." she grunted out, and she dug her nails into the ground, pushing up from her position, the chakra cloak burning up the pepper gas as it made contact with it. The ground cracked around her with the pressure of the chakra that coated her body, and she lashed out with the Tail behind her, and she swiped her arm as Simon's clone, the cloak over the arm and the tail both extending out and lashing at Ryuko and Simon on it's own, even as she bolted forward, gunning towards Natsuru with a single minded vengeance.

She was going to kill her. That thought, the anger, was the only thing on her mind, the focus so intent that it was keeping the 3 Tails from fully taking over. She was still able to think, still herself, for the moment. The 3 tails seemed to go along with it, as if she did kill her, then the focus would shift, and there would be a moment of weakness to assert control over Nozomi's body at that moment. The pressure at her skull lessened, but didn't go away.

She launched herself with a leap towards Natsuru, aiming to clear any obstacle in her way, namely the Jounin Morikawa. If he would interfere, she'd swipe a hand, releasing a shockwave of chakra at him to deter him from crossing her path.

-50% of Isobu's Chakra for Lethal Damage Healing
Lethal Damage Healing force activates Version 1 permaturely
Version 1 - 1/3 Posts til V2

Version 1:

Stats:

There was a lot of chaos, though Natsuru's perceptive eye kept tabs on everything happening. It was a very important skill for a long range fighter such as herself. In most cases she will have to fire into crowds of Shinobi. Being able to tell the motives of her allies and enemies to line up a shot was paramount. And in the end, it all paid off. Given the conditions she saw the sleight of hand from her allies dropping non-lethal flash and pepper bombs onto the battlefield. Nozomi was a sitting duck as her arrow ran through, seemingly right on mark as she winced and reacted to being run through by the ethereal arrow. It would cause minor burns on contact, but the girl instinctively ripping it from her body to prevent enduring damage. Unfortunately she distracted herself with that being swiped by Simon's sword. The combination quick put the girl out of the fight as she struggled to keep herself on both feet losing blood like a broken spigot. Her clothes surrounding the entry point of the wound would immediately turn red as she continued to bleed on the floor. Natsuru's postured relaxed, the girl standing upright and lowering her bow into a low-ready stance. The chakra arrow would vanish, whatever Nozomi did with it after removing it from her body.

As the blonde fought to stay conscious Natsuru heard her mutter a few words. They were the words of cowardice and submission. For once during her career as a Shinobi did she feel at peace. The blonde woman would go down as her first Shinobi kill, and her first proof that she was indeed stronger than she thought. Natsuru would scoff as Nozomi murmured her supposed last words. "You should have considered that before you chose to affiliate with that white cunt." There was nothing good to come from joining her. Thousands have died due to Honiko. This village was apart of something to the Land of Lightning. The moment Nozomi chose to affiliate herself with these crimes, she was equally responsible. Natsuru could not expect anything good to come from this. Given a few years and the blonde would be doing the same: murdering thousands for the sake of...whatever.

Their target laid lifeless, though the was not the end of her. Natsuru foresaw something wake in her as she laid against the earth. A surge of this dark, bitter energy raising to her upper body. It was almost as if the energy moved to empower and fortify her heart. Following this endeavor she saw the blonde regain her strength, standing back up on body feet. Her energy festered the airwaves as she focused directly at Natsuru. The situation turned against her. Natsuru had a strong feeling she was on the menu. She would return the bow to her body straddling it across her chest as it was held firmly between her bosom. She doubted her teammates could contain her. The only reason she opted for long range was due to her enemy being distracted with the others. Now, with the tables turned, she had to go on the offense. Reaching down to her thigh she grabbed her tanto from the hilt retrieving the short sword from its scabbard. Her hand felt snug around the grip, the ten inches of blade gleaning in the ambient light. It was clear she wielded a virgin blade with no presence of nicks or scratches on the surface.

She readied herself in a solid stance as the blonde darted towards her with unrelenting determination. The obstacles she would face seemed not enough. Natsuru embraced for combat. Her guard was set as the tanto was held in a reverse grip. Within adequate range she would too lunge forward in a brisk, short explosion to match her momentum with her own. She remained focused to guard or even dodge any underhanded attacks she may face. Though, she would forward her tanto straight leading her assault to plunge the dagger deep into her torso in hopes to piece her lung. It was a simple flesh would that wound that would possibly slow the girl down by making breathing painful. If no attacks followed her assault from Nozomi she would attempt to overpower the blonde by reinforcing her thrust with her body pressing her forearm into the woman's body following the stab as her other arm shot forward shoving her palm into her chest. If she managed to down the girl into the earth Natsuru would rend the tanto from her body, first carving the blade horizontally within her chest so her knuckles were against Nozomi before pulling with great force creating a massive wound channel comparable to the overall blade length. Doing so she would prance back three meters in a single hop to clear some room and appraise the condition of her foe.

Natsuru Stuff:

There was a shift in the air as Morikawa’s tactic did not go to waste. Though perhaps it was a bit unfair to Ryuko who took in the pepper pretty harsh, but whether she realized it or not Ryuko played the vital role to distract Nozomi long enough for the blonde to react instinctively to the bombs. However instincts can only do so much as that moment of shielding herself from the two bombs led to Natsuru’s arrow to pierce into Nozomi’s chest and then from behind is Sakata’s sword cut deep into Nozomi’s back. The plan was a success for the most part, but while most of the others were beginning to relax as Nozomi was uttering what seemed to be her last words. Mori had just took a step forward after seeing Nozomi seemed to be defeated.

Perhaps it was horrible for someone like her to go down in such a way, and in truth it kind of rubbed Morikawa off in the wrong way. The kind that told the jounin that Honiko would just discard anyone if they fail in something. How could she send a lone girl who is so young and inexperienced against a full squad of trained shinobi? Is what Morikawa was thinking before things quickly escalated. The air quickly grew uncomfortable as it was thick with malice and hatred. Such emotions creating an aura that could cut the air in a howling roar. It was a thing that Morikawa has only experienced once before, and Morikawa doesn’t want to go through that again.

Nozomi, who had just fallen to the ground, starts to get back up on her feet as if her strength has been restored with wounds healing before Morikawa’s eyes. Such a thing even Ijutsu can only accomplish if it was powerful or maybe set ahead of time. Yet no Ijutsu allows such a fast regeneration since it normally puts a lot of stress in the cells and muscle tissue. A cloak of bubbly red mass shrouds Nozomi’s body as she stands back up. Her expression filled with anger and carries the heavy intention to kill. Most importantly, those eyes shift from her normal eye color to something that isn’t normal. Her fangs bared as her eyes seem to be trying to burn holes through Kumo’s sniper.

In truth the clone was getting nervous if such a thing can exist in a shadow clone. The moment Nozomi leaps at Natsuru’s direction the jounin was quick to react given his natural speed. Drawing out a kunai and charge it with flowing chakra. Morikawa intercepts Nozomi’s path and is in front of Nozomi in no more than half a second. Ash kicks up behind him and briefly shrouds the area. When Nozomi goes to swipe at him with a claw hand Morikawa was quick to leap over the blonde no more than a foot. As for the claw from the cloak, when Morikawa witnessed the vague shape of a claw moved along her, the jounin twirled his body to deliver a thrust from his extended kunai. The chakra enhancing the kunai to survive from the intense heat and holding an extra five inches of pure chakra.

Morikawa will push hard on the kunai to force the chakra arm down on Nozomi. Which in turn the pure chakra would pierce through the cloak and stab Nozomi about an inch deep. Perhaps Nozomi could catch herself as Morikawa pushed his weight down to force her to the ground, but in any case he would momentarily plant his foot on Nozomi’s back before leaping a good 30 meters away which wrenches his kunai free. Perhaps it would serve to distract Nozomi as Natsuru lunged forward tanto in hand to meet with her assailant. Or it could just throw Nozomi off course. In any case Morikawa is positioned at Nozomi’s flank, so if she wants to take her anger out on Morikawa then she’ll have to deal with Natsuru. Alternatively if she continues to pursue after Natsuru then she’ll be flanked by Ryuko and Sakata.

One of the things that Morikawa did not forsee is that burning sensation on his hand that holds the kunai. Looking down he can see the red tissue on his pale complexion as there appears to be a blister. To him it wasn’t that big of a deal except for discomfort, but just in case the jounin speaks in a clear and loud voice. “Be careful with that cloak of hers. It seems to burn you on touch.” In fact after he looked down at his boot that touched Nozomi’s back it also held burnt marks. “Well I am glad this is just a clone…” Muttering to himself before returning his attention to Nozomi. Morikawa may not be skilled in physical combat or rather has the ability to maintain such a state. However he knows enough to hit and run tactic works fine especially if he is just testing his opponent.

Ryuko felt a stratifying thud as her elbow connected. It probably wouldn’t be enough to knock the girl she had struck out but it wouldn’t exactly be pleasant either.   A couple more hits like that and she’d go down for the count.   One on one, that would be a pretty tall order but with this much backup she was sure she would be able to bring Nozomi down quickly and safely for everyone involved.

She barely even registered a slight tingle of electricity lick against her back as it arced between Nozomi’s body and her own, the bulk of it absorbed by her gambeson which was lined with insolation precisely because the priestess wasn’t thrilled with the idea of being zapped easier simply for wearing metal armor.

Feeling herself released Ryuko quickly spun around ready to lash out with a follow up strike only to gasp in shock at the sight of Nozomi stumbling towards her, gushing copious amounts of blood from a wound on her chest, a wound straight over her heart.  It didn’t take a doctor to tell at a glance that it could be mortal wound…  what the heck had happened to trying to take her alive.

Before Nozomi could turn away Ryuko dropped her fighting stance then reached out attempting to grab her shoulder with one hand to keep her from pulling away  “Hold still so I can heal you.” she said firmly even as her other hand began glowing green with chakra visable to even the naked eye.  

Placing the hand over the wound she bit her lip in concentration. This was not going to be an easy fix by any means,  the odds she could actually pull it of and save this person, this stranger where incredibly slim and yet she felt compelled to try anyway.  

It quickly became apparent that the mystical palm alone wasn’t going to cut it.  She knew some low level techs that might slow down the bleeding some but with damage this severe it using them would be futile and waste excess energy she couldn’t afford to burn if she wanted to save this woman’s life.

Maybe if Mori was helping her they could mange something together but that had it’s own issues as well. She knew that the Mori with them right now was shadow clone. How much energy could he burn without popping?   No they needed him to crack the energy dome or they where all good as dead.   The only one right now that she could depend on for saving Nozomi was herself.

Until now she’d never tried to use an A rank medical technique even though she had know about them in theory.   It was risky to use such an unpracticed, unproven thing but at this point what other choice did she have? If she didn’t she was going to fail anyways so she’d have to take the gamble and roll the dice.   This would be the deciding moment wither or not she was worth her salt as a medic.

The parent technique was simple enough. It worked by predicting where you where going to be hit and start healing preemptively to prevent as much damage as possible from taking place.  The downside being it did absolutely nothing to block out the pain you would receive from taking said blow in the first place.  

In Ryuko’s mind as a armor smith it was a bit of a ridiculous thing to do.  The entire point of making armor was to stop damage from occurring in the first place.  Prevention was the best cure in most cases.   Ironically she wasn’t the one taking damage right now so knowing how to preform it would have been almost useless if it weren’t for the fact she needed to understand how the mechanics behind how it worked before she could even consider trying something as insane as what she was about to pull.

“Hang on Nozomi, we haven’t known each other long enough for tis to be the end yet.”  Ryuko said replying to the girls wish not to die. Closing her eyes she began to preformed the Cell Activation Technique.   She could feel a rush of energy, more then any she’d ever used before flow from her second hand and into blond’s body.

It was taking ever inch of chakra control she had but she could feel it working.  Every cell in her patients body was activating all at once, kicking her body into self repair mode knitting damaged flesh back together on the inside even as Ryuko continued to work on the external wound.

“You can’t die on me, I shalt not premit you.”  Ryuko said firmly, her tone allowing no rebuke even as a few tears flew from her eyes. If anyone asked she'd claim it was the after effects of the pepper bomb, even if that was a lie.  It felt funny, to be crying for someone she barely even knew and yet it felt almost like they’d been destined to meet.   If Nozomi’s life slipped from between her fingers now before they could great each other properly it would be as if the fates had been playing a cruel trick on her from the very start.

Right now the only thing on Ryuko’s mind was saving this one girl. All thoughts of saving energy to deal with the white woman after this where cast aside.  How she was going to explain going so far to save the life of someone who was technically an enemy of the state ignored.  The future she wanted to build nothing but a glitter falling down her cheek.  

All of her heart and soul was focused on the moment, the thin line between life and death Nozomi was currently hovering between.  All it would take was one misstep, one mistake and she would be gone the light of her soul extinguished.  Even the fiercest flame would cease to burn eventually, but she would be damned before that happened today.

If she succeeded she would have unwittingly prevent Nozomi from transforming into her next state, but if she failed the cloak of chakra would envelop the freckled girl the, the vile energy it omitted burning Ryuko’s hands even thought her gloves forcing her to pull them away in shock.  It was nothing she wouldn’t be able to fix later, but she wouldn’t have the time to deal with it now.

What on earth was happening? Thought Ryuko to herself as Nozomi got up and charged at her bow and arrow wielding team mate.   It would be like she was witnessing some twisted miracle in action.  She’d always thought of herself as a fairly decedent medic ever since she’d earned her doctorate degree but this was far beyond the scope of anything she should have been able to accomplish.

Nozomi had been on her literal death bed.  Even if Ryuko had managed to save her life it would be been by a mere threads breath.   There was no way she should be able to get up again right away without any recovery time let alone continue to battle covered in chakra no less.  At least there shouldn’t have been and yet the proof was right in front of her face.

She’d been so focused on the battle inside the dome and then trying to heal Nozomi that she’d only been paying partial attention to what Honiko had been saying on the outside.   She’d said something to the contingent from Kiri before seeing them off that seemed important. Something she’d wanted all of them to hear.  Replaying that conversation again in her head one word stuck out to her in particular because it was so unusual to hear.  

That word was Jinchūriki.  It took a few seconds for the implication to fully sink in and as it did Ryuko’s face turned pale as she realized just what they where dealing with.  “SHIT.” she muttered swearing for real for the first time in ages due to how serious the situation was.   The average person might not know what that was, but a learned person like her knew perfectly well even if she didn’t understand everything about the process entirely.

“We need to knock her out quick before she transforms any further. If her seal breaks while we’re still inside this dome we’re doomed.”  she warned her teammates loudly.  Trying to stand up, she feel to one knee instead.  The healing work she’d attempted had done a real number on her.  She needed a second to catch her breath.   She cursed herself for being so useless.  If only she’d been a little bit better at healing, a little bit faster she could have prevented the beserk state from happening in the first place.  

Ryuko stuff:

He focused inward as he closed the final distance to join the fight with Nozomi. That was the one good thing about the new guy, he mused. You often went unnoticed. He held his metal stave in hand as he made a sidelong charge towards their target. He didn;t have alot of options but that didn't mean he was going to be dead weight.

He cycled through the techniques he did know before this mission. Getting into a melee now wouldn't be wise. He'd been experimenting with the Follow Up technique but it ran the risks of being in short range with the container of a Tailed Beast. His free hand dipped into the pouch at his side and came back with a pair of shuriken. At least he could act as a distraction and give the others an opening to strike. He took a moment to calculate the angle and threw so that the metal stars would arc downward towards the enemy from above.

As she had removed the arrow from her heart, the blood loss was incredibly fast. Tied in with the blood she was losing from the slash to her back from Simon's clone, Nozomi's clock was running out extremely fast. She more or less ignored everything that happened around her, although the feeling of someone's hands on her was registered. A small shift of her eyes told her that the girl, the target that Honiko had given her to kill in exchange for Yomi's life, was trying to heal her. A slight smile shifted on her face, but it was too late. She'd lost too much blood at that point. Her heart was pumping out blood with every beat, and even having slowed it with the Mystical Palm technique, it had still lost a lot before healing over, and she'd more or less focused more intently on the arrow wound, but she'd still been bleeding out of the back slash as well.

As the 3 tails spoke to her, she looked up to Ryuko, locking eyes with her for a brief moment. She was too nice, too caring. Trying to heal her enemy from a wound caused by her teammates. She had wanted an honorable fight as well. She'd asked her name, and shown her the utmost respect and kindness. She even lamented over not getting to know her enough, forbidding her to die. Had she known her before, she may have refused to fight her to the death, but it was a little late for that. She moved a hand to hold Ryuko's wrist momentarily, giving it a light squeeze. It wasn't light purposely, she was low on energy and that's all she could really muster.

However, the 3 Tails had different plans. Even with Ryuko's help, the wound was going to kill Nozomi, and if it didn't, she'd be captured, and that wasn't something it wanted. If she was captured, she'd be experimented on, perhaps killed. That was inconsequential, as Isobu didn't really care if she lived or died, but it knew it'd just be transferred to someone else, or sealed into something, experimented on, or otherwise subjected to further torment. At least with Nozomi, she would be a known entity, travelling, experiencing things, and that meant that the 3 tails would also get to live out those experiences.

It still healed her wounds, sealing closed the arrow hole and the back slash. The electrical burns on her dissipated, and the chakra cloak formed over her. Her grip tightening immensely on Ryuko's wrist as the searing chakra of the 3 Tails started to consume her, she let out her yell of rage and pain, letting go of Ryuko as she pulled away from the pain. She'd bolt forward towards Natsuru, the singular item of her focus, everything else just an obstacle trying to get in her way.

Yagami finally decided to join into the match, and Morikawa intended to interrupt her, dodging her claw and sinking a kunai into her, kicking her away, but the attack wasn't all that successful. It penetrated into her well enough, but as he'd kick her away, getting some distance as well, the wound he had made healed up, the healing factor of the Bijuu obviously still affecting her for the time being. Granted, the blade hadn't felt good, and the healing factor burned as well, sealing with a *hiss*. It was interesting though, as she hadn't expected that her wounds would continue to heal, and that gave her an idea. If she could heal up even lethal wounds, things would be much easier.

Yagami's shuriken bolted down towards her, colliding with the armor she was wearing, the same armor that Yomi had made for her before they'd left for Kumo. They didn't make it past the armor, although it wouldn't have mattered much in the event that they did either. As Natsuru prepared herself for a more close quarters fight rather than run, her Tanto ready to run her through, Nozomi drew out a Kunai from her pouch, one of the 4 that had the explosive tags wrapped around the hilt. Her hand covered the tag from view when it was drawn out, so all she would see was the Kunai blade itself, and the ring loop on the bottom.

Natsuru thrust forward with the tanto, and Nozomi raised her arms as if to try and stop the blade from piercing her, bracing herself for the impact beforehand, prepared to take it. With her free arm, she would grab Natsuru's left wrist as the tanto plunged into Nozomi's armor, piercing through and into her left lung with some force behind it, the bones and armor taking a lot of the force from the tanto itself, not that it made it feel any better, if anything lodging the blade in her even more solidly than it should have been. Nozomi's left arm, with the Kunai, launched forward, towards the gap where her Mail met her arm, to lodge the kunai blade up into her armor, pierced partially in her arm as well if successful. If it went as planned, the mail armor would serve to keep the blade trapped there, until the explosive tag went off mere seconds later.

Meanwhile, when she'd made an attempt to grab at Natsuru's wrist to keep her there, the cloak had began to attack as well, the arms of the cloak seeking to wrap up and around Natsuru's arm and lock it in place. The armor would mostly protect her from the cloak's vile presence, but only for a few moments. Prolonged contact with it was not advisable, as Mori and Ryuko had found out moments earlier.

If she succeeded in lodging the kunai into Natsuru, she'd attempt to punch her in the face to launch her away with her now free hand, letting go of the wrist, the cloak arms extending out, still holding her arms where they were. The tag itself wouldn't necessarily kill her, but she would probably lose the arm. Her armor was fairly decent quality, and the tag was a simple one, purchasable at many different shinobi weaponry places. There were better ones, and it hadn't been in the most lethal location it could have been, so by and large she'd more than likely be alive, but in pain. Then she'd remove the Tanto with a forceful grunt, tossing it to the side as the stab wound once again immediately closed up with a sizzle.

She could feel the influence of the 3 tails wearing down her mental state, and her anger was only rising, fueling itself. While she was still in control for the most part, she wouldn't be for long, and she couldn't really fight the influence while the fighting was on going. It would win sooner rather than later. It knew it, and she knew it. It was protecting her as well, but only in the interests of itself. If someone would try and attack her from behind during any of this, the cloak would move to counter, as the Sanbi was eager to protect its vessel from this. Still, the more they pushed her, the closer to freedom it got, so in a way, as long as she was alive at the end of this, it was a win win for the 3 tails.

OOC: It occurs to me that I haven't described Nozomi's current gear and appearance. This is how it is and has been basically since we left Kiri, with the exception of 3 less Military Ration Pills, as I used some against the Kumo ANBU

Spoiler:

Used:
Version 1 [as above] 2/3 Posts
Lethal wound healing Jinchuu ability 2/3 posts [Immediately heals all wounds up to lethal ones for 3 posts]

Stats:

Spoiler:

Natsuru watched Ryuko in disgust as her own friend and ally betrayed her. She betrayed all of them by healing their enemy. It was not a matter of simply her affiliation anymore. The blonde women put Natsuru and the others in harms way. It was the entire reason why they were in this trap to begin with. This was an arena, not a friendly sparring match. Yet Ryuko was so dense in her own world to prolong this battle and revive a neutralized threat. Natsuru's fists tightened as the leather strained against her knuckles. Ryuko would have retribution to be paid, especially if herself or anyone else got hurt for reviving the woman.

Evidently Ryuko's aid caused their threat to raise up from the ground ready to fight again. She had a more feral appearance as her energy grew. "I can't keep picking up after your fuck ups." She muttered spitefully to herself as she stashed her bow and went for the tanto. Nozomi charged, simply negating most of the half-hearted attempts to stop her. The shuriken thrown by the new kid, who Natsuru could not remember his name during the heat of the battle. It was obvious she was determined to get her instead. Natsuru kept her eyes focused on her opponent witnessing her draw a kunai blade. The awkward way she drew the blade, retrieving it with both hands having one holding it by the handle while the other palming the blank space just above the pommel rose suspicion from the Genin. She expected some sort of nasty surprise to be imminent. But Natsuru braved the potential risks.

Her adrenaline was coursing through her body as she was a second before colliding with her enemy in close quarters. She was a demon, and gave off a chakra that could only be compared to hellfire. Her adrenaline made her feel bigger than she actually was and more powerful. She would collide with Nozomi plunging her tanto all the way down past the hilt. Light armor was useful to negating shallow attacks and slowing down light strike, but against a solid charge it was neigh useless. The blade went further than expected, part of the handle forcing its way inside of Nozomi as the drive was stopped briefly by Natsuru's own hand. While the girl fought to grapple her in her position Natsuru reacted with her own primal reaction swinging the narrow side of her hand in a chop to strike her wrist. The impact force would be tremendous as the woman had enough strength to break Nozomi's wrist if successful. Hit or miss her hand would move and one thing was certain-- she would not be laying her hand on her.

When Nozomi's hand moved to attempt to grapple the girl Natsuru noticed the deviant secret she had in her hand. Attached to the ring pommel was an explosive tag. Being within such close proximity was very dangerous for both of them. Although her body was durable she would suffer severe damage if it went off. Natsuru angled the tanto inside Nozomi's abdomen upright as she would pick up girl off her feet with just the single effort of her arm as the girl felt like a feathered pillow. Left arm cocked back she would send her closed fist cascading into woman's sternum. Natsuru let go of her tanto as she made contact to allow the full effect of the attack to take place. Nozomi would feel her entire chest cavity break in a shockwave as the unreal strength of the statuesque threw Nozomi like a rocket across the battlefield and inevitably into the purple dome. She was faster. She was sharper. She was stronger than the blonde. Natsuru's forearm and hand would suffer minor burns from being in contact with the demon child, namely on her fingers and a few places on her elbows where her flesh was exposed. It was nothing compared to the threat of her life she faced in this moment.

Natsuru Stuff:

The incredible rate of regeneration was going to be a major problem Morikawa had concluded. His kunai had bit its mark, but the wound closed as soon as he removed the kunai. Ryuko was attempting to heal Nozomi earlier, but no doctor except by some miracle could repair that much damage so quickly. From the corner of his eye the jounin noticed Natsuru’s expression hardened, but then again with someone so set in their ways it would seem that Ryuko betrayed them. More importantly, betrayed Natsuru or at least that is probably what is running through her mind.

Nozomi continued her pursuit towards Natsuru, and it was very clear that if they don’t take Nozomi out soon things are only going to get worse. Luckily Natsuru mustered some monstrous strength hidden within her body and quickly overpowered the demon child. With a short combo of this strength Natsuru launches Nozomi to slam against the barrier with such force it surely would shatter the barrier. Morikawa saw this as an opportunity, because while yes his orders was to try to take Nozomi alive, but if she continued to pose such a threat to the squad as a whole then the jounin will answer in kind. Predicting where Nozomi would collide with quick thinking and possessing sharp eyes.

Live sparks of electricity wraps around Morikawa’s body as raiton chakra built up in his body as Nozomi was still in mid-course to the barrier. Taking in a deep breath as the chakra was molded and churning inside of his body. There was no seals woven together or other indication of what Morikawa was doing other than the raiton chakra wraps around his body all the way to his hand. Then Morikawa parted lips as the blinding, pale blue energy slips past the gap before the jounin opened his jaw. In the shape of a spear, the lightning shoots out so when Nozomi slams onto the barrier the spear of lightning would already be a couple of inches away. Moving incredibly fast, the spear will attempt to pierce through Nozomi’s chest. So in addition to the incredible strength behind Natsuru’s throw the spear will pierce through Nozomi and strike into the barrier itself.

Unfortunately for Nozomi, and perhaps the squad itself. Morikawa was not done as he quickly launches the second spear and this time the raiton spear will pierce through Nozomi’s left shoulder effectively severing her left arm from the body. Finally he launches the third raiton spear from his mouth as it was aimed at Nozomi’s right thigh which will do the same effect as it would do to her arm. These spears happen in a consecutive fashion and each of these spears will attempt to pierce through Nozomi and the barrier as well in one focused area. Morikawa doesn’t know how much of healing Nozomi is capable of, but if she could recover from this then he’d be genuinely surprised. Of course if she’s able to move between any of these spears being fired then Morikawa would simply adjust his aim where Nozomi is attempting to go and fire the other spears at her. So least to say she’ll still have all three with equally deadly power coming at her direction.

Clone Used:
False Darkness - 10 Stamina
Stamina: 25/40

Clone’s Stats:
Strength: D
Constitution: B
Stamina: C
Speed: B
Coordination: C
Intelligence: A
Perception: B