Shimiko Chinoike vs Nozomi Himitsu

Congratulations on moving towards the final round of the tournament guys~ I apologize for the delay but I'm severely occupied with finals at the moment.

Alas, let's begin!

First poster is Nozomi Himitsu. (This was decided by Google's random number generator).

As usual, you begin standing on opposite sides of the arena. 50 meters behind you is the arena circular wall.
100 meters are between you and the very center of the circular arena.
And 200 meters separate the two competitors.

Remember the arena description!

Akihiro wrote:The Four Champion's Arena was built for the specific purpose of hosting the 1st Shinobi World Tournament, where competitors will fight each other to be crowned to the best shinobi in the world. It is a circular arena, the fighting stage is a a 300 meters diameter circle composed of sand, dirt, sweat and the pride of defeated opponents.  The spectators' area is composed of three levels, each one higher than the one below it. It has a capacity for tens of thousands of people. Very complex Fuuinjutsu has been applied to protect the spectator's area, with three invisible barriers of X-rank strength preventing jutsus and other attacks from harming the audience and allowing the fighters the opportunity to go all out. The barrier is circular, placed on the limits of the arena and rises up to 10,000 meters above it. Because this barrier is extremely expensive and taxing (requiring several shinobi to maintain) it is only active during the duration of the event.

Noz is the first poster~

Good luck and have fun!

It was the final round already. Nozomi wasn't as calm and collected on the inside as she usually was. Ryuko had fallen into a coma, and because of that, Shimiko had advanced on without having to fight, much the same as Nozomi had. However, she was worried about Ryuko's well being, concerned that the girl might end up dying. Still, she showed up to her match, steeling away her nerves for the time being. Shimiko had taken Yomi down in a matter of seconds. She wasn't the type of opponent that could be hesitated against. Nozomi had to be fully present and aware.

She was finishing her outfit, which was basically just clipping on her flak jacket. It was just one of those generic flak jackets, with no real identifiers on it, but hers was one of incredibly high quality. She already had on the rest of her outfit, which was her old set of Military Combat gear, given to her by Yomi from when they had come to Kumo the first time. She'd lost her combat jacket, but she wasn't sentimental like that, so it wasn't really a big deal to her. She only wore these items out of convenience. A pair of gloves to help protect her hands, if even minimally. Her pants had an iron plating woven into the shins, covered by another layer of cloth, with the knees and upper thighs protected by a layer of plastic, also covered by another layer of cloth. Her boots were basically just normal boots, but they had a layer of iron at the tips to help protect her toes and give her more solid kicks.

Her gear was fairly standard for her: she had her tanto, sheathed in the baldric behind her left shoulder. She had several pouches on her belt and person that held her various ninja tools, although she rarely resorted to using them anymore. Two holsters, one on either side of her hip, each held a single kunai in them. Her headband hung near her neck, the line she had etched into it to declare herself a missing-nin prominent. She made sure that everything was secure one last time, before she finished off by tying her hair into a bun.

With that, Nozomi walked out into the light of the stadium, to a roar of applause. She knew that the applause was simply for the excitement of the match, rather than for her specifically. This was the finals of a high level tournament. It wasn't often that anyone who wasn't a shinobi got to see such a fight. Even as far as shinobi went, Nozomi was far above any ordinary shinobi, and as was Shimiko. Nozomi was interested to see what she could do, and had armed herself accordingly. Against Rin, she'd gone in unarmored, and barely took him seriously, as he wasn't a threat to her. Shimiko was assessed to be a real threat, and Nozomi knew better than to take her lightly.

Nozomi moved to her starting position, and waited for the fight to begin, looking at Shimiko with analytical eyes. She was seeing her up close for the first time, although she had watched her fight against Yomi. She was certainly a marvel of a specimen, and Nozomi half wished she worked for the Society, and was half glad she didn't. She might have overshadowed her otherwise. Her powers were unique.

Shimiko stood in the center of a small congregation of Jashinists. The group was largely made up of Sacristans although some of her closest brothers and sisters in faith were present. The Twins were there as well as Shimiko refused to do the ceremony unless Yui and Yua could attend. The leader of their Church, Lady Superior Mora, was dressed in her priestly attire. A flowing white garment decorated in golden ornamental patterns showing gore and orgy. The woman wore a mitar on her head and had pinned her shaggy grey hair into a bun. In one hand she held a staff topped with a crooked and twisted crucifix and in the other hand she held a thurible. The thurible swung gently on a chain as it released smoke and incense into the small spare room that the Jashinists had converted for the purpose of the ceremony. Each of the Jashinists held a hand out to touch Shimiko. Their heads were bowed in prayer, and some clutched prayer beads or copies of the Orthodoxy as they murmured silent prayers. Lady Superior Mora spoke softly as she rested the stem of the staff against her Defender's forehead. The Orthodoxy's leader prayed aloud while the congregants prayed silently.

"Lord Jashin we ask that you unlock Shimiko's full potential for this match. We ask that you bless each and every one of her weapons so that she may carve the flesh of your enemy. We ask that you sanctify her chakra so that she may inflict death and dismemberment upon the apostate she faces. Lord Jashin, we sustain Shimiko Chinoike as this Church's Defender and humbly beg your divine intercession. Guide her to victory so that she may sacrifice Nozomi and bring that wretch closer to your infinite grace. In the Necrossiah's name we pray. Amen."

Lady Superior Mora then bowed her own head and said a silent prayer. Shimiko found herself begging Jashin for forgiveness. She had a duty to kill Nozomi according to the scriptures but she knew that she could not go into this match with that intention. It wasn't the stipulations of the tournament that stayed her hand. She was confident that Nozomi was so powerful that killing her would be an incidental consequence rather than a goal. Kumogakure could not be blamed if in the course of an all-out match between two Jounin-level shinobi, one of them died. That wasn't the reason she was pleading with her God for forgiveness. Shimiko was contrite because she could not kill Nozomi knowing what the girl meant to Ryuko. For some insane reason, Ryuko had fallen for the Nuke-Nin and was intent on winning her to the side of good. Shimiko did not understand it but she was convinced that her comprehension of the decision wasn't required. She loved Ryuko like a sister, and true familial love meant supporting someone even if you despised their decisions. If Nozomi couldn't be trusted to do the reasonable thing then she'd break the Society's champion. She'd force introspection and reflection on the jinchurikki through brutal combat. She would stop short of killing her but she would make sure that Nozomi would never even consider attacking the Lightning Country again. It wasn't what the Church wanted, it wasn't what her Clan wanted, but it was the closest she could get to what Ryuko wanted. And that would have to do for now. Shimiko found the moment spiritually and emotionally charged but she refused to cry. She swallowed her emotions as she had been trained to do as a member of ANBU. She raised her head and started to leave. The match was starting. She thanked everyone for attending and left to make her appearance in the arena.





Shimiko stepped out into the arena clad for battle. She was wearing her signature Chinowakugumi armour. A bright red steel armour that looked like latex but was actually created from a custom material that made use of her blood. The armour was beautiful and even exposed some of her more well-developed assets but most importantly it held her greatest weapon: her own blood. The armour was interwoven with seals that contained four cubic meters of blood just waiting to be released. On each forearm she bore the black Kālīkoroshimasu device. A custom creation of her own designed that functioned as a hybrid Melody Arm and Senbon shooter and outfitted with some special modifications. The devices were light-weight but dense. It would appear that she was wearing a pair of black elbow length gloves that contrasted elegantly and sharply with her red armour. Shimiko was strapped with six Sai which were placed in various weapon slots around her armour. A pair were criss-crossed near her tailbone for easy access while the rest were holstered along her back and upper arms. She had a ninja pouch which held her serrated kunai and she kept her Twin Tessen strapped to her left and right hip. Shimiko sported her signature blonde pigtails but not her cheerful smile.

The Chinoike had an expression of complete severity and malice on her face. When she stepped out into the arena, she could hear the distinct chants and bellowed prayers of her fellow Church members. It was good to have their support but she couldn't bear to look at them. If Nozomi accepted her proposal then what she would have done could be considered a sacrilegious betrayal of her Church's confidence. Some Sacristans who have poured over the Orthodoxy may even say it was grounds for being stripped of her title as "Defender of the Faith" and a few might even call for her head. She knew it was sinful and she had asked Jashin's forgiveness in advance but she worried that it may nevertheless leave a stain on her soul.

Losing my place in the Necrossiah's vanguard for this?

She hesitated. She re-considered. Then she thought of her twins and what she wanted them to be. She had high hopes for them. She wanted them to understand what true family was so that when the time was right they'd pass on those ideals to their own children. It would make Yui and Yua better Jashinists and she could make peace with losing her place in the vanguard if it meant they'd fill the hole she'd leave. Shimiko looked at her opponent and sized her up before speaking. Nozomi had blonde hair just like her although she had opted for a more utilitarian bun. The girl was lean and a bit taller than the reports had suggested but then again those reports had been written two years ago. Nozomi didn't appear nervous or scared which was good. She was focused and determined which didn't bother Shimiko a lot but it did concern her. If the Society had taken up residence in the hospital then she'd had to have known about Ryuko's situation. Yet she didn't appear troubled in the slightest. Shimiko had trained for years with ANBU on how to stifle her emotions but what was Nozomi's excuse?

"Nozomi"

She spoke at a level volume. She didn't shout her words across the stadium as most might given the distance between the two competitors. She had honed her senses to the point where she would be able to hear Nozomi if the girl projected her voice a moderate amount. Most would need to scream to be heard at this distance and over the roaring crowd but Shimiko guessed that if Nozomi was as fine a warrior as she then she'd have evolved her sense of sight and sound. A combination of careful listening and lip-reading would be sufficient for the two adversaries to converse without worry of anyone overhearing. If Nozomi reacted to her name then Shimiko would know the girl had a means of listening to her.

"I'm going to give you one chance" She lifted her hand and extended her pointer upward to make the gesture. "One chance to do what's right. Ryuko's fallen to the plague. She's in a coma and fighting for her life. Leave here now and go to her. If Ryuko is right about you and there really is some good in you and you want a future with her then you'll walk away from this match right now. Ryuko's strong, we both know that. She's going to beat this thing......I want you to be the first thing she sees when she wakes up. She thinks that you're a good person at heart, I don't agree, but whether I'm wrong and she's right is entirely up to you Nozomi"

Shimiko took a step forward and moved her hands behind her back. She gripped her Sai but did not take a single aggressive action towards her opponent. Even as she said the words she felt her insides quake with anger and hatred. It hurt to say them and it made her want to retch with disgust, but that's how much Ryuko meant to her. Shimiko herself had fallen to the plague and had managed to fight off the illness by the grace of Jashin. When she woke up, the first person she saw was Sakata. It made all the difference in the world and she cared about Ryuko to the point where she was willing to set aside her personal feelings so that the Priestess could experience the same thing. She had restrained herself only through years of discipline and training even though she wanted nothing more than to slit the Jinchurikki's throat. It would be satisfying to take down this wannabe terrorist but it would be more satisfying to know that her friend was happy. Besides, if Nozomi did turn to the path of good it wasn't like there was any shortage of enemies that she could face.  The Walking Death...Shiroi....Some people are too evil to be loved.... Shimiko thought to herself as she waited for Nozomi's response.

Shimiko was every bit as spectacularly outfitted as Nozomi has remembered from her fight against Yomi. They had both come with their best hear it seemed, ready for a battle that would exceed any they'd had before, at least that was the hope. She didn't seem thrilled to see Nozomi. On the contrary, her expression was outright unfriendly. The jinchuuriki had expected no less from her opponent.

Rather than simply starting the match as she had expected, Shimiko opted to speak, which caught Nozomi off guard a little. She spoke softly, but Nozomi was quite adept with her perception, so it wasn't hard for her to catch the words as if they were only a meter apart.

She had to admit, her opponent knew how to be persuasive, and Nozomi had perhaps a moment of hesitation on her own, a frown appearing as she contemplated her words. Ryuko was unconcious, in a coma, and Nozomi knew that. It was low for Shimiko to try and use that to get a win without even trying.

"I can't believe you would try and squirm your way out of this fight by using my feelings against me. Ryuko will be fine, she's a strong girl. She will wake up. I spent time with her already before I came here, hoping she would. I'm sure she would understand that I can't be by her side every single moment until she wakes up, especially considering my stay here is not a permanent one. We will fight, and then I can go and stay with her for a bit. I do very much plan on being there when she does wake up. I just also understand that it might not happen."

Nozomi was a practical girl. She liked Ryuko a lot, but chances of a relationship with her were difficult at best. She didn't know how long hey would even be in Kumogakure. She didn't know how long Ryuko would be in a coma. She could wake up any time, or she could never wake up again. Nozomi planned on being with her as long as possible, but circumstances weren't ideal for the two of them.

"I do, however, have an obligation to fight here and win. For her sake, I won't kill you."

Nozomi opted not to position in any stance just yet. What actions she took depended on whether or not Shimiko was going to fight close range or at a distance. As Nozomi was a more reactionary fighter, she liked to get a feel for her opponent rather than trying to immediately overwhelm them. If Shimiko was the same, she would respond accordingly, and if she tried to overwhelm her from the start, she had ways of dealing with it as well.

Shimiko had expected a refusal. She had even expected an insult. What she did not expect was for Nozomi to imply that her offer was made out of cowardice. This went beyond mere banter and crossed the line into outright disrespect. The insinuation brought her rage to the surface and her hostility became even more pronounced. Her normally blueish-green eyes morphed into blood-red as she activated her Ketsuryugan. Nozomi spoke so crassly and matter-of-factly that Shimiko wondered whether the girl was some kind of sociopath. The response began with an insult and also ended with an insult as Nozomi implied that she could kill Shimiko but would refrain from it for Ryuko's sake. It took all of Shimiko's training and willpower to not lose it right then and there. She could count on one hand the times she felt such anger and hatred for another individual. She had killed and sacrificed many to Jashin but it was rare for those acts to be motivated by anything but pure love and devotion for her deity. Nozomi had entered a new class of persons with her words. The class was small but held significant importance to Shimiko. They were people whom she marked not only as enemies but scourges and threats to everything she held dear. If Ryuko continued to interact with such a cancer then it would consume her best friend. She wasn't willing to let that happen.

"No! You will never see Ryuko again!" she shouted. "You just burned your only chance of being with her and after I break you in front of everyone here, I'm going to make sure she knows exactly what kind of person you are!"

Shimiko wanted Ryuko to follow her heart. It was something that had been denied to her when she was growing up and she swore that she'd treat her new family differently. But for the first time in her life, she understood how her parents felt. To know that someone you love wanted something that could only lead to death and pain. She had convinced herself that she could never be like that, that she would always trust her sisters to do the right thing. But here she was, resolved to be the impenetrable barrier between this Jinchurikki and her best friend. But it was different she told herself.  Shimiko was guided by the infallible teachings of Lord Jashin. She knew what was best for others and she had the power to impose that knowledge on others. It was the right thing to do. It was the only thing to do. Shimiko grabbed the pair of Sai strapped to her lower back and unsheathed them as she slipped into a fighting stance. It was a signal that the match had officially begun.

Alright bitch, you made your bed now its time to die in it!

As she gripped the Sai and raised them, the Chinoike did two things. First, she activated the first level of the Lightning Release Chakra Mode technique. A storm of electricity danced around her nervous system as her physical attributes were invigorated by the release of lightning energy. The second was to secrete a line of blood underneath her eyes. The blood was manipulated to form eye black. The blood's conductivity was nulled but via the Mosquito's Intuition technique it would give her enhanced perception.  Shimiko had taken after the style of both her brother and boyfriend. Each of them had mastered the Lightning Release Armour and were proficient in adapting its power to suit their own combat needs. Shimiko's style however was arguably even more lethal in numerous aspects. She was not going to take Nozomi lightly but before revealing those lethal techniques she needed to see what the jinchurikki could do. Shimiko dashed towards her opponent in a zigzag fashion. She held a Sai in each hand and prepared an simple opening salvo. In a heartbeat she'd appear in front of Nozomi and would slash downwards aiming to cut the girl's collarbone. Shimiko's Sai were serrated meaning the strike would not only saw into the bone but it would also leave a nasty cut that maximized bleed damage and made healing difficult. She aimed another strike at the girl's temple hoping to tear a gash into her head and bring the match to an early close via blood loss. She had declined to use the full breadth of her speed and ferocity against Yomi but with an opponent like Nozomi there was no room to play long distance games. Shimiko excelled as a close range fighter and she'd make her dominance known early in the fight. The girl moved gracefully with every inch of her body and every corner of her mind prepared for a counter.

Spoiler:

While she was talking, it appeared that she struck a chord in Shimiko, as she reacted with such anger and malice that Nozomi could almost tangibly feel it in the air. Nozomi's hands, which were by her sides while she spoke until that point, met behind her, in what looked like a casual movement, although she had used the movement to drop three hand signs as she clasped her hands together behind her and activate her Oculus Enhancement Jutsu. A small, almost imperceptible lense formed over her eyes, which was timed with a blink so as not to be noticed. Unlike Shimiko's change in her eyes, which had definitively been noticed.

As she drew to her conclusion, saying she wouldn't kill Shimiko, she unclasped her hands, bringing them back to the neutral stance that she usually liked to maintain, while Shimiko brought in her own retort of anger. Gone was the softer tones that she had maintained, instead shouting out for everyone to hear. Nozomi was amused a little bit that she thought that her opinion mattered on this subject. If it did, then Ryuko wouldn't have liked her in the first place. Nozomi had already figured that judging by Shimiko asking her to go to Ryuko that she knew of their bond, and it was obvious she didn't approve. Shimiko would have already made that known to her team mate, and Ryuko still wanted Nozomi, so there was no doubt that Shimiko's opinion had already been factored in and ignored.

Still, she was probably right. Ryuko and Nozomi would never be able to have a real relationship, and while that wouldn't stop Nozomi from sneaking in moments with the girl, she understood the futility that trying ultimately brought. For now though, it appeared that the fight was going to progress, and Shimiko was making it a close quarters match.

Her angry opponent drew two sai, and an aura of lightning surrounded her, while Nozomi moved into her Spring Chant stance, a sensation of thrill rushing through her. She hadn't actually fought anybody remotely exciting in a long time. Something told her that this fight would be the hardest fought and the most rewarding one she'd ever had. She quickly used the hand seals to activate some jutsu she hadn't used in a long time. First she started with the Bird seal, which started the buildup of petals around her, the Petal Shuriken technique being the first to activate. Immediately after, she activated her Misty Petal Step while she started to use the seals for the Petal Dance of the Mist technique as well.

The Petal Dance of the Mist was a unique jutsu that her clan had developed that allowed the user to lacerate an opponent without having to strike with very much force. This allowed them to maximize speed without worrying too much about damage from strength. Her palms were covered with an aura of petal blades that left a trail falling to the ground. Some of them also covered her forearm as if a gauntlet of petals were covering them, as she focused a little to make the Deflection version activate. With the Petal Step technique activated, the soles of Nozomi's feet were also covered in a similar aura, and with that, she was ready for the combat, a swarm of petals surrounding her.

Shimiko then proceeded to rush towards her, zig zagging the entire way. She was incredibly fast for sure, Nozomi had been correct in assuming she couldn't just play around here. Still, both were in a dangerous area, as they were both highly accomplished close quarter combatants. The petals from her Petal Shuriken technique were shoved aside by the Lightning Raiton Aura around Shimiko, and then closed back up into their original position.

Shimiko would be the first person to experience her full set of abilities. Nozomi usually would have held back, but this girl was just as fast as she was, and certainly was not someone she could afford to hold back against. She deserved to see everything Nozomi had to offer. Of course, Nozomi was fairly sure of herself, or she wouldn't have even let Shimiko get close in the first place, but she was confident she could hold her own in a close quarters match against her.

She moved her arms at blazing speeds, matching Shimiko's own, her experiences prior to this having tuned her body to almost naturally defend itself agaisnt such straight forward attacks as these. They were faster than she was used to going against, but they were ultimately no different than a slower attack. Both of her arms were accelerated by an application of her Misty Petal Shift to match the speed of Shimiko's slashes, and with the added acceleration, provided more power to meet them. However, Nozomi didn't match them power for power, using basic redirection to keep Shimiko committed in her own strikes. Nozomi was masterful at using an opponent's momentum against them, as that was her primary way of fighting.

The strike moving towards her collarbone would be shoved off harmlessly to Nozomi's side, as Shimiko's vertical downward momentum from the strike would continue off, the Petal Dance Deflection's petals protecting her arm from damage caused by the serrated edge should Shimiko try and rake it down her arm. The horizontal slash towards her temple would also likewise be met with Nozomi's forearm, except she had angled it upward to skate the blade off and upward, completely avoiding the same sort of damage. Nozomi's right leg would accelerate upwards with the same speed as her defense had come, using the fact that Shimiko had over committed with her fast and powerful strikes and knowing there could be no retaliation from her blades.

If Nozomi's kick landed on Shimiko, her momentum and power adding together, with the metal plating on the boot providing more localized force as well, Shimiko should be sent skidding backwards and away from Nozomi. Likewise, with Nozomi's Misty Petal Step active, and her feet more or less having skates on them, would be skidding backwards from the same force she had given to Shimiko, temporarily disengaging the two of them. Should this happen, Shimiko would be shoved through Nozomi's Petal Shuriken petals, although her LRA would more or less negate any damage as they moved to maintain the circular area around Nozomi.

Still, as Nozomi and Shimiko would separate, while Nozomi and Shimiko were still moving away from each other, but after the petals had drug through Shimiko's spot, Nozomi would form a half bird sign, launching all the petals generated from the Petal Shuriken Technique towards Shimiko. There was a veritable whirlwind of petals around the area from the speed of their moves, force of their clash, and Nozomi's counter attack. Despite the beautiful image it showed, it was quite a dangerous area to be in. Most people in the crowd probably wouldn't have seen any of what had happened, just the after math.

Nozomi let her momentum carry her, and naturally slow down, assuming Shimiko didn't have an immediate response. A trail of petals over the ground showed her path. Part of her wondered how Rin would have fared against her if she'd been using this level of her close quarter jutsu, but she didn't dwell much on it.

-

-3 Oculus Enhancement
-1 Spring Chant
-5 Petal Dance of the Mist
-3 Petal Dance, Deflection
-5 Petal Shuriken Technique
-1 Misty Petal Step
-1(x3) Misty Petal Shift
Stamina: 161/182

Jutsu Used:

UA's Used:

Stats:
Strength: C
Constitution: B
Stamina: B+
Speed: A
Coordination: A -> S [Spring Chant] -> S++ [Misty Petal Shifts]
Intelligence: C
Perception: A -> S [Oculus Enhancement]

he jinchurikki also had her own custom style it seemed. It wasn't a style that Shimiko was familiar with but she had to admit it was quite beautiful. Nozomi covered herself in a storm of petals before using her own Taijutsu to deftly block each of Shimiko's strikes. She had expected her to match her speed but nevertheless she found herself stunned by her opponent's celerity and grace. Shimiko knew there were others in the village capable of moving at her current pace but to see an enemy transition into that kind of state so quickly and calmly rattled her. Nozomi connected a well timed kick against Shimiko temporarily breaking them apart. Luckily both her physical and electrical armour protected her from the razor sharp petals that surrounded her opponent. Sparks and flowers flew as the initial contact drew to a quick close.

Tch! Shimiko silently cursed and breathed a sigh of exasperation.

The second phase of the encounter started just as quickly as the first had ended. Nozomi sent her petals directly at Shimiko and the Chinoike responded by momentarily crossing her Sai in front of her and then un-crossing them in a violent downward motion. The physical action was a mirror of her mind's eye as she unsealed the blood that was stored in the fabric of her armour. The blood burst forth from the front side of Chinowakugumi to form a barrier between herself and the incoming petals.

Shimiko knew that the petals were sharp but given the seal that Nozomi had made there could be other tricks at play. The blood barrier was eight feet high and 3 inches thick. She immediately increased the density of the blood via Plasticity to ensure that it would be able to block the petals. The petals would slam into the blood wall creating an eerie monument of beauty and gore. Once the defense had been deployed, Shimiko pushed it forwards with the intent of striking her enemy. The wall of blood was dense and was moving at sufficient speed to knock Nozomi down but its real danger was not in its concussive force. The telepathically controlled wave of blood threatened to cover her in the substance from head to toe while also blinding her Shimiko's movements. The Chinoike remained behind the thick sanguine wall, using its height and thickness to obscure her movements. She unsealed twenty blood infused Senshichi Needles from Kālīkoroshimasu and they appeared in the airspace near her forearms. Shimiko could manipulate the blood within the needles giving her free form control over the small lightweight projectiles. The needles fell back and arranged themselves into a circle behind her. It was a sort of halo except rather than appearing above her head they floated directly behind her. The needles were pointed at Nozomi and they rotated slowly in a counter-clockwise fashion. Nozomi could not be overwhelmed so easily in close quarters combat. At a minimum, she was just as fast as Shimiko which meant the Chinoike would need to leverage all of her abilities to best the Ex-Kiri Nin.

Shimiko took off at her top speed for the second time with her halo of needles following close behind. She used the blood as cover up until the last moment. Whether the blood had knocked over Nozomi, merely splashed on her, or was dispersed entirely by another force Shimiko's actions would likely be the same. She spun her Sai expertly to gain momentum and layered them with Raiton chakra to increase their range and effectiveness. Keeping her eyes on her opponent, she made six slashes with the ferocity of a maddened badger. She aimed for Nozomi's trunk hoping to open up her insides and rend her into submission. Yet as she slashed, her needles assisted her assault. Five of the needles zipped forward, bobbing and weaving with the intent of sticking themselves in her face, forehead, and neck. Another five were manipulated to strike her legs while the others remained in the ever rotating halo behind Shimiko. If successful the needles would inject their contents into Nozomi's bloodstream. Noting her opponent's flawless speed Shimiko molded her chakra in preparation for another technique so as not to be caught off guard again.

Spoiler:

As expected, Shimiko had managed to form a defense against Nozomi's attack, her defense becoming the newest offense in their dance. The two of them were adept at turning a defense into a counter attack it seemed, which Nozomi could absolutely respect. She knew that being capable of that alone was already a dangerous thing, and Shimiko's ability to control blood was something that Nozomi had already witnessed working at great effect, albeit not against her.

In a similar manner, Nozomi had her own jutsu that was of similar nature, that being the Water Heaven's Convergence, perhaps the best thing that had come out of her time in Kirigakure. Now that Shimiko's blood jutsu was in play, Nozomi knew she had to switch to Suiton, as that was her only real reply to this sort of technique. Interestingly enough, the play of ebb and flow from water was similar to the way that the two had been fighting, as they appeared to have rather similar fighting abilities.

As the wave of blood moved towards Nozomi, she found herself moving backwards and away from it, having cancelled her petal techniques at this point. She was faster than the blood itself, so it wasn't that difficult. However, she wasn't simply running. Having formed the handseals for the Water Release: Water Formation Wall, Nozomi spat out an incredibly dense wall of water, which was as hard as steel. The wall surrounded her like an orb of water, protecting Nozomi from outside interference.

As that jutsu completed and kept her protected, Nozomi began weaving additional seals, completing those necessary for Water-Heaven's Convergence, which allowed her to manipulate any water in the area, whether in the air, ground, or otherwise. Luckily for her, the Village Hidden in the Clouds, located in the Land of Lightning, stormed quite a bit, and thus, water was almost ever present, even if not able to be seen.

She pulled the water from the ground and shaped it into a wall of spikes in front of her as Shimiko came at her. They would extend out towards Shimiko, seeking to skewer her, but only for about 5 meters. Meanwhile, she had been attempting to push the water from Shimiko's blood wall away from her, interested to see what sort of effects if any she could produce. Blood was mostly water, so she wouldn't be surprised if she could. After all, blood was 55% plasma, and plasma was mostly made of water, over 90%. She only knew rough numbers on that, but it was enough for a theory, as if blood was half water, which she had full dominance over not only through her jutsu but through the 3 tails as well, then it stood to reason she could manipulate at least the water in it.

If it worked, she would attempt to disrupt Shimiko's needles as well. It would be an interesting thing if she could even affect Shimiko's blood jutsu to some degree, or even outright overpower them through the water.

If it failed, which Nozomi was expecting it to, she would instead erect a wall of water in a matching position to Shimiko's blood wall, using the water that continues to be pulled from the air and ground. She was lucky that Kumogakure, like Kiri, had an abundance of moisture and water for her to use. If this was Iwa, it might have been a bit harder, and she would have had to resort to a giant flood jutsu, which were effective, but too showy.

-5 Water Heaven's Convergence
-5 water formation wall
-1 Oculus Enhancement upkeep
-1 spring chant

Shimiko was experiencing déjà vu. During her fight with Yomi, the Kiri Nin had tried a similar maneuver when faced with a veritable onslaught of blood. On instinct, Shimiko sheathed her Sai in the holsters from which she had drawn them. Instead of charging her enemy, she performed the Tiger seal twice as she remembered how to take advantage of the inherent weaknesses of this defense. Two drops of blood seeped into the ground from the wall she had created earlier. They functioned as beacons for the iron in the Earth's crust. In mere moments two cubic meters of iron-rich liquid lay nestled in the Earth directly beneath Nozomi. It was clear that the dome she had constructed would be enough to keep the Chinoike out, at least in terms of close quarters combat. Thus, a new strategy would need to be taken. As a result of this change in tactics, Shimiko would not be skewered by the aquatic wall and its spikes although she did notice that Nozomi's control over the water appeared more refined than her previous opponent's. Unsure of whether this was a product of her Bijuu, natural talent, or some unknown technique she figured it would be best to play it safe and go with what worked. If Nozomi brought the fight to her she would still prepare for a close encounter by summoning an array of needles identical in number and formation to the way previously described.

Nozomi's attempt to take control of Shimiko's blood would fail and the Chinoike wouldn't notice anything odd in that department. Although if Shimiko knew what Nozomi was trying to accomplish then her curiosity would be peaked as to precisely what technique would cause the girl to believe that such a thing was even possible. Again, moisture was pulled from the surrounding environment and then sent forth in the form of a water wall. The water and blood walls clashed, canceling each other out and sending the mixtures sloshing across the field. Blood vs Water..... if she didn't hate Nozomi's guts she would have had greater appreciation for the imagery as both liquids were often closely associated with life. The moment the two walls intersected with each other, Shimiko zipped behind the water dome using her enhanced speed to circumnavigate her foe without actually coming any closer. She opened her mouth and fired a spear of electricity at Nozomi's back. The intention was to shatter the dome and electrocute Nozomi into a state of unconscious or at least put her in severe pain. It was a strategy that had worked well against the other Kiri-Nin although that one's skills were likely to be far more mediocre in comparison.

Shimiko's senses kept tabs on her enemy as molded her chakra to prepare for her opponent's inevitable response.

Spoiler:

Just as Nozomi would have expected, her defensive measures worked for the most part. Of course, it wasn't like she had expected Shimiko to run into her spike wall, but it did succeed in having her pull away for the moment. Her other wall collided with the blood as well, the two cancelling each other out with little issue. Nozomi noted that when her water entered the blood, she lost control over it, but at the same time, the blood seemed to have control lost of it as well, if not only temporarily. She figured that whoever could produce the most of their liquid would have the superiority there.

She was quite in tune with her surroundings, very perceptive. Underneath her, she felt the ground being disturbed, but nothing happened quite for the moment. Not only that, but she saw Shimiko trying to maneuver behind her, catching a glimpse of her as she tried to use the cover of the walls colliding to fully blitz her. Luckily, Nozomi had superb vision, and her peripherals were sharp as well. With her Oculus Enhancement, she could even pick up further things, and she turned to keep Shimiko in her field of view.

Nozomi built up a surge of chakra, preparing to eject herself from the dome of water while trapping Shimiko  as well. Forming hand seals to the Electromagnetic Murder technique, Nozomi's counter had a few steps, although these were almost simultaneous. As Shimiko launched her lightning spear towards Nozomi, she propelled herself out of the side of her dome, which had also moved towards Shimiko, forming a wall of its own and positioning so that Shimiko was between it and Nozomi.

Even if Nozomi's water was disrupted, it didn't matter all that much. Her Misty Petal Propulsion technique had augmented her personal speed and accelerated her out of the dome at a high rate of speed, the dome having opened up to allow her out through use of her Water Heaven's Convergence, which she'd used to reshape and move the dome as well. With her having dodged out of the way of the Lightning Spear, and a wall of water extending outwards, trying to keep a fully extended wall and limit Shimiko's movement, Nozomi released her Electromagnetic Murder technique.

Her hands outstretched, the stream of lightning leaving her hand at a high rate of speed as well, the power behind it also nothing to laugh at. If all was done correctly, Nozomi would have trapped Shimiko between her and a large outstretched wall of water, having had dodged Shimiko's attack and moved away from the underground blood, although she didn't know that it was blood that had amassed beneath her.

Stamina: 131/182
-3 Water Heaven's Convergence
-10 Electromagnetic Murder
-3 Misty Petal Propulsion
-1 Spring Chant
-1 Oculus Enhancement

New Jutsu Used:

Spoiler:

UA's:
3 Tails Jinchuuriki: Suiton techs reduced by 1 rank of cost
Ninjutsu Perk: Raiton techs reduced by 1 rank of cost
Effecient Taijutsu Mastery: Having had such extensive training in Taijutsu as to consider it as natural as breathing, Nozomi has managed to bring out peak efficiency in her Taijutsu, expending as little stamina as possible when using Taijutsu techniques. Nozomi's Taijutsu techniques cost 1 rank less chakra

Stats:

Strength: C
Constitution: B
Stamina: B+
Speed: A -> S [Misty Petal Propulsion]
Coordination: A -> S [Spring Chant]
Intelligence: C
Perception: A -> S [Oculus Enhancement]

Give and Take. Offense and Defense. For every action there was an equal and opposite reaction. It appeared for every move that Shimiko made her opponent had an answer for it. It was exhilarating but also infuriating. She knew this match wouldn't be easy but after years of defeating many opponents who were not even close to her level, it was a bit jarring to encounter someone that could match her skill effortlessly. Nozomi reacted to Shimiko's lightning attack by escaping the dome and launching a pincer attack. She manipulated the water dome so that it blocked off a potential path of escape from her next offensive. Whilst Nozomi made seals of her own, Shimiko formed the Rabbit seal then Snake seal. Just before Nozomi had completed the final handsign, a wave of blood emanated from the Chinowakugumi Armour. The blood expanded outward in the form of a dome-like bubble but without touching its caster directly. The Bloodwave was strengthened by Shimiko's application of the Focused Amplification technique ensuring that it was able to counter the blast of electricity fired from Nozomi's hands. The bloodwave also provided much needed cover from the water that was sent her way by Nozomi. The wave clashed with the water and rendered their control over both liquids null.

An opening was made and then taken in that same instant. Shimiko sent ten Senshichi Needles zooming towards Nozomi after the lightning blast had collided with the bloodwave. The needles bobbed and weaved through the air as Shimiko maintained exquisite telepathic control over their path and direction. They'd avoid obstacles and home in on her location with the intention of striking exposed skin. They'd deliver sharp and painful pricks at ultra-high velocity potentially crippling her ability to move her arms, legs, and neck. The halo of needles behind Shimiko though fewer in number continued to rotate ominously as she she closed in on her opponent. Shimiko would aim to dash to the side of Nozomi so as to flank her. The Chinoike retrieved her Sai in an instant and aimed two slashes at Nozomi's neck and arm hoping to sever the tendons in her left arm so that it'd be useless, and also open up her neck so that'd she'd fall unconscious due to bleed damage. Luckily, Shimiko's experience and talent with weapons meant that neither strike would be fatal although they if they connected it would certainly be enough to fell the jinchurikki.

While Shimiko and her needles moved above, the iron-rich liquid she had created underneath the ground moved below. The liquid flowered through the earth as it made its way over to wherever Nozomi moved. The liquid was controlled by Shimiko's thoughts and since she kept close tabs on her opponent it would be a simple matter to re-position the liquid to be directly beneath her location.

Spoiler:

Nozomi and Shimiko were fairly evenly matched, with similar enough skill sets that it appeared their roles had reversed, with Shimiko now on the defensive against a powerful Raiton technique from Nozomi. The ebb and flow of their match was really something interesting, and one of them would need to get an edge up on the other. The blood bubble Shimiko was in was effectively the same as the water defense Nozomi had made, although Nozomi's attack was stronger than Shimiko's had been.

Apparently equally so, Shimiko's defense was more powerful as well, as Nozomi's Raiton was enough to neutralize the blood, but not pierce through it. Still, Nozomi's raiton was intense, popping the blood bubble, their two chakra vying for superiority. With the bubble out of the way for the moment, Nozomi's water wall had been properly set up to pincer Shimiko, her blood having no hold to cancel out Nozomi's second jutsu.

Nozomi's wall of water collapsed inward, the wall of water encircling Shimiko to try and fully surround her at that point. The rogue was simply going to try and hold Shimiko in the water, crushing her with an inward force until she passed out from either pain or lack of oxygen. There was also the issue of Shimiko's needles, which Nozomi knew would be a bad idea to let hit her. Hopefully though, Nozomi could keep Shimiko distracted, but if she couldn't, then she needed some form of defense around her.

Having originally not having wanted to utilize a massive water jutsu, she realized that it was perhaps in her best interest to do so, having the entire field as both an offensive and defensive tool was a much greater asset to her than it would be a detriment. It was to that measure that Nozomi formed the Ram seal, gathering a massive amount of suiton chakra, back pedaling should she need to avoid the needles, as her speed was quite enough to outpace them, she would release the chakra when it reached its zenith, launching a torrent of water into the ground, shuddering the entire field under the force of her Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave.

The pure amount of water and the force behind it was staggering, dwarfing what she had displayed and used against Rin. The waves were much larger and had greater speed and power behind them, and would maintain that power through to each end of the arena. It would wash up the needles with little difficulty, and threatened to smash Shimiko under the pure weight and scale of the technique. It was a potential match ending technique, but even if it didn't, the field was now one that Nozomi had absolute dominance over, with the addition of her Water Heaven's Convergence technique.

She would, barring some surprise from Shimiko, maintain her stance atop the water, and simply observe as things settled down.

Stamina: 116/182
-3 Water Heaven's Convergence
-1 Spring Chant
-1 Oculus Enhancement
-10 Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave

New Jutsu Used:

Spoiler:

UA's:
3 Tails Jinchuuriki: Suiton techs reduced by 1 rank of cost
Effecient Taijutsu Mastery: Having had such extensive training in Taijutsu as to consider it as natural as breathing, Nozomi has managed to bring out peak efficiency in her Taijutsu, expending as little stamina as possible when using Taijutsu techniques. Nozomi's Taijutsu techniques cost 1 rank less chakra

Stats:

Strength: C
Constitution: B
Stamina: B+
Speed: A
Coordination: A -> S [Spring Chant]
Intelligence: C
Perception: A -> S [Oculus Enhancement]

The match was rapidly reaching a boiling point, Shimiko could feel it in her blood. Not just the blood in her body but the puddles of it that littered the arena. They had spent the first few moments of the match feeling each other out but now that it was becoming clear that they were an even match, they both would stop holding back. Once the two Nin brought their full power to bear,  there was no telling what would happen. A wall of water surrounded and threatened to engulf Shimiko as she had underestimated the relative strength of both of her opponent's techniques. Luckily, she had planned for such an eventuality. Shimiko loosed the technique she had prepared moments before. A rough outline of her body was launched from her armour. The outline was a compressed mass consisting of ten cubic meters of blood and invigorated with an extra dose of chakra to maximize its piercing capability. The technique was known as the Blood Echo and it was one of the most fearsome tools in her arsenal. Originally designed as an assassination technique, its applications were limitless and in the hands of an experienced ANBU like Shimiko it could be used to rapidly turn the tides of battle. The Blood Echo rushed forwards bursting through the effete water wall that Nozomi had conjured in an attempt to drown Shimiko.

Don't underestimate me!

The Blood Echo had been strengthened with Focused Amplification giving it enough oomph to not only cut through the water wall but also to utterly bisect the incoming Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave. Nozomi had just launched the apocalyptic waves from her mouth when the Blood Echo barreled through its first hurdle. The second obstacle it faced was this new arena-flooding jutsu. The Echo cut through with perfect precision as it split the waves in two halves leaving a clear path between Shimiko and Nozomi. There was now a straight line connecting the two, with no aquatic barrier between them. Shimiko moved the second the Echo was fired. She ran directly behind it as if she were a shadow. Both the Chinoike and the technique clearing her path moved at the same Speed ensuring that not a moment was wasted. The Echo had split the water from the point of Nozomi's very lips and although at that point it lacked enough power to actually harm her, it'd ensure the Suiton jutsu itself was of no harm to Shimiko. Nozomi had successfully swept away the needles but before she could fully turn the arena into her own personal playpen, Shimiko would rush her with the same intensity as before. The Jinchurikki was vulnerable as she'd be in the middle of casting a fairly voluminous jutsu. Like Moses splitting the Red Sea, Shimiko made her way in-between the bisected waves, unsheathed her Sai, and aimed to plunge them into Nozomi's stomach at full force. The blades were angled upwards so as to maximize the shock, force, and laceration of the strike. All but five of the needles that rotated behind her would move forward and stab the rogue's exposed skin at point blank range. The needles bobbed and weaved as they sought their target aiming for the neck, chest, face, and hands. When the waves came back together after being split apart it'd be twenty meters behind Shimiko.

If successful, it would stop her from completing the full scope of the Suiton jutsu and likely render her unfit to continue the match. Additionally, The iron-rich liquid that Shimiko had sent to Nozomi would reach her and would remain directly underneath her.

Spoiler:

It was easy to see that Shimiko was more than a worthy opponent for Nozomi to fight against, and she had to give her opponent some respect in that regard. A single misstep from either of them would spell the end of the match in an instant. It was due to that very thing that Nozomi had not lost sight of Shimiko for even a moment while she was attempting to make the arena her personal play pen. With her level of perception currently, especially enhanced as it was, she was aware the very moment that Shimiko was going to attempt to disrupt her technique, and Nozomi began focusing her chakra to one side of her body.

The Blood Echo technique was incredibly fast, and from what Nozomi would probably assume, pretty powerful as well, but she wasn't going to really find out first hand on that. Judging by the size and shape of the attack, it was likely that she would follow up directly behind it, so Nozomi had best not be hit by that particular combination.

As the echo of Shimiko burst through the wave of water, Nozomi's petal propulsion activated again, launching her off to the side, with Shimiko's attack finding nothing but a cloud of petals left in her place. The two of them were so fast to most that many of the viewers would probably see the attack connect before Nozomi disappeared, but they would only be seeing an afterimage left behind where Nozomi had been moments prior.

Skidding on the ground, as she landed about 10 meters away, Nozomi dashed off to the side to gain more distance from Shimiko before she could correct from the position she was at and dash at her again, clearing half the field in under a second. The benefit that Nozomi had with her technique was that she was able to change her trajectory at a moment's notice, and accelerate to high speed without worry, whereas without it, while Shimiko's speed was great, there was a certain amount of momentum that had to be dealt with in order to course correct, and Nozomi knew enough about gaining small advantages to deal with that.

Her opponent as well seemed to have an incredible amount of chakra at her disposal, launching technique after technique, while maintaining the Lightning Raiton Armor, something Nozomi could respect, but she knew that she would probably be feeling the effects of chakra drain soon enough if she continued fighting like that. Nozomi herself was no slouch when it came to chakra reserves, especially with her own hidden reserves that she could tap into, added on to the fact that she was a Jinchuuriki. Beyond that, she was fairly conservative with her chakra usage, and adept at minimizing chakra poured into a technique.

With Shimiko showing that she was capable of interrupting Nozomi's techniques, especially ones that would have drastically pushed the tide of battle into her favor, Nozomi adapted her style of fighting in this situation once again. She'd already realized, before the needles even, that a close quarter fight would not be ideal in this situation. They were both Taijutsu masters, and excellent ninjutsu practitioners, and both combined those in their own way for Nintaijutsu, but Nozomi's wasn't ideal against Shimiko's defense. Likewise, Shimiko could counter jutsu just as effectively as Nozomi could, so they were at a stalemate in that regard.

Where Nozomi knew she would shine was in a battle of attrition. She would simply let Shimiko wear herself out trying to take her down, while maintaining her own supply of chakra. She maintained a level head, calmly analyzing her opponent, exhilarated that she could actually be fought to a stalemate so effectively. Nozomi had expected Shimiko to be a strong combatant to be sure, but she hadn't expected quite this level from her. Granted, if they weren't confined to this arena and limited in space, she could have given much more space to utilize her flood jutsu, but they were both so fast that the arena was basically tiny to them.

If Shimiko didn't immediately rush her down, Nozomi would speak, her elevated heart rate and breathing suggesting that she was feeling the effects of this match a bit. "Credit where credit is due. I understand why you could beat Yomi so easily. You're easily one of the most talented fighters I've met." In her eagerness for the match, Nozomi was willing to let some compliments out. She had all but forgotten that they were in a tournament, that people were watching, that Honiko was watching. None of that mattered, just the match. All the while, she was pooling water in the ground underneath her, moving water from her earlier jutsu around the field a little, moving it closer to her.

Shimiko's control over blood was problematic, so the water below ground was used to stop any blood from getting below her, while the water that was currently present on the field was, admittedly less than she'd wanted, but still substantial enough for almost anything she could want to do with it. She did maintain a meter of dry earth around her, purely to keep herself out of contact with water, in case Shimiko would try and electrocute it, while a shallow pool of water would surround her going out about 50 meters in any given horizontal direction, gathering more from the ambient moisture as time went on. She didn't need to flood the field to gather water, it just made it faster. Regardless, Nozomi was still more than capable of controlling the field to her heart's content.

The water was churning, rotating in a fast paced, yet flat vortex, making it difficult to stand on should Shimiko try to rush her directly. A step at high speeds in a head on fashion would simply sweep her feet out from under her and that would be that, the water would engulf her and she'd be in trouble. Moving with the vortex would effectively slow her down, giving Nozomi more time to react to something. Moving against it would be even more so. Long range ninjutsu would be smart, but Nozomi had already demonstrated that she could deal with those.

Internally, she could feel a sense from Isobu that he approved of their match so far, something she wasn't quite used to. Nozomi had been utilizing a smart strategy, one that the Giant 3 Tailed Turtle could understand well enough. He wasn't the fastest bijuu, nor the strongest, but he had a superb defense, and to see his Jinchuuriki utilizing a defensive style to outlast her opponent as well as maintaining a strong offensive counter strike potential was definitely interesting. He could appreciate it. She'd been slowly growing on him as she'd spent time mastering usage of his chakra, and this was just another thing that he felt she was doing that would help their longevity. On the other hand, it just meant she would be good at surviving, so he might not get free for a very long time at this point.

"Use my powers Nozomi. It'll help with your stamina, help restore you. Give you speed, strength, endurance even further." The tailed beast enticed. Anything to help weaken the seal, to get him closer to freedom. She had mastered the Initial Jinchuuriki mode, as well as the Version 1 cloak, both of which were incredibly useful, and if she spent a decent amount of time in both, she could drastically weaken the seal containing him.

Nozomi wasn't dumb, or easily persuaded. She spoke under her breath, although Shimiko may be able to hear partially. The words weren't to her though, but might draw attention to the fact that she was still a Jinchuuriki with other abilities at her disposal. "No, not yet. Not unless I need them. I don't need you yet." she muttered. Honiko had cut her off from the Bijuu for 2 years, and in that time, Nozomi had learned to rely on her own abilities first and foremost, only using the rest in more dire situations. Although Shimiko would be someone that Nozomi was willing to break that rule for, she wasn't quite ready to do so. Not until she saw what more Shimiko had to offer.

Stamina: 108/182
-3 Water Heaven's Convergence
-1 Spring Chant
-1 Oculus Enhancement
-3 Petal Propulsion

Same UA's

Stats:

Strength: C
Constitution: B
Stamina: B+
Speed: A -> S [Petal Propulsion]
Coordination: A -> S [Spring Chant]
Intelligence: C
Perception: A -> S [Oculus Enhancement]

Shimiko could see her target attempt to flee and in that very moment she knew that she had to press the advantage. Nozomi had left a whirl of petals in her wake and while others would perceive a mere after-image, Shimiko could track Nozomi's escape perfectly. The Chinoike was not willing to chase her opponent around the field while trading techniques until one of them tired. She thought it amusing that the jinchurikki had accused her of being afraid to fight and yet it was becoming increasingly clear that Nozomi did not wish to face her in direct combat. Their power was matched and so long as Nozomi believed she could control the tempo of the fight through defensive measures then they would remain locked in a stalemate. Shimiko wasn't keen on letting that happen. The match was in the throes of the mid-game but like a game of chess it only took a few precious moves (mere fractions of a second in a fight between shinobi of their caliber) to move it into the endgame. Just before Nozomi would cross the full ten meters via her Petal Propulsion Technique, Shimiko would activate a jutsu of her own. It'd be magnified just like the Echo was but the nature of this technique would be far more omni-directional. She channeled Raiton chakra into Kālīkoroshimasu and release a powerful yet invisible wave of sound and electricity. The attack could not be seen but it moved at unparalleled speeds as Shimiko directed it straight at Nozomi via chakra. The Electro-Audio Murder Technique was an update to the Resonating Echo Drill, and what made it especially devastating was its raw offensive power. Ordinarily, the the Electro-Audio Murder Technique would create a sound akin to booming thunder but given its amplification, the sound that Nozomi would experience went beyond deafening. It would be sibylline. The barrier and Shimiko's control over the waves would ensure the sound posed no threat to the audience but the roar of thunder and the cracking of electricity could be heard throughout the arena. Unfortunately, for Nozomi the sound would be the least of her worries.

Before she could get a chance to continue fleeing after her initial dodge and set up any defensive measures, the Electro-Audio technique threatened to render her totally inert due to the intense pain it created. Physical spasms on par with full body seizures, bleeding from multiple facial orifices, and headaches beyond the scale recognized by modern medicine would essentially take her out of commission before Shimiko even reached her. It was more hurt than even a super-human body was designed to handle. The distance between the two before Nozomi had used the Petal Propulsion technique was 30 meters and thus even as the girl continued to run, given both would be in a constant motion the distance between them at all times would never exceed anywhere between 30 to 40 meters. Given the amplification but even without it, it was highly likely the sound waves would reach Nozomi. Unwilling to take any chances, Shimiko didn't miss a beat as she followed through with her initial rush. With her near god-like agility, she'd navigate to Nozomi and set upon the jinchurikki using the jutsu as a means to secure her opening.

Nozomi was by far the strongest opponent she had ever faced and given that she hadn't done anything remarkable yet in the way of using her Tailed Beast, Shimiko guessed the girl had more gas in the tank. Now was not the time to hold back. Ryuko and Natsuru had nicknamed her "Honey Badger" because of her blonde hair, cuddly appearance, and highly aggressive nature. Like the clawed beast of the lowlands, she tore through her opponents without mercy or hesitation. Shimiko attempted to plunge her twin Sai and needles into Nozomi just as previously described. However, this time she'd follow up with a series of additional strikes aiming to sever tendons, nerves, and arteries in her trunk and limbs. She'd manipulate blood into all of the lacerations that she had created. She pumped the crimson substance into Nozomi's body ensuring that there was enough to encapsulate nearly all of her major organs. Shimiko was an weapon specialist so she knew exactly how to place her strikes so that death was not an inevitable outcome. Even the initial use of sound and electricity, although overwhelming and normally lethal, was calculated so as not to cause death. Nozomi would be within the intensive care unit for a significant amount of time but she wouldn't die.

Shimiko's goal was to break Nozomi. To make her feel all of the pain and suffering that she had inflicted on their team. To make her feel all of the pain that Shimiko was feeling right now. She tried to restrain her true nature around others especially in front of her twins. But in this moment, as Shimiko hacked and slashed at her enemy, she felt utterly alive and untamed. Here and now, Shimiko Chinoike was completely in touch with her true self.

Spoiler:

Nozomi couldn't help but be impressed with the quick response of Shimiko, who made an extremely loud noise from her wrist machine, which deafened her for sure without the chakra blast actually reaching her at this point. Rather than slow down her movement at all, Nozomi took a far different approach than she had been planning. As she kept moving, she shoved up a wall of water behind her to block Shimiko from giving chase, or at least slow her down, at least to the point that the supposed jutsu would have worn off by that point. Sound jutsu didn't last forever, vibrations weren't exactly easy to control and maintain for long. At least that was Nozomi's theory.

She really couldn't hear anything, her ears were ringing so loudly that she couldn't actually hear anything. Even without the jutsu's effect going off as Shimiko would have wanted, she really didn't know whether that was the intended effect or not. Disorientation was fairly useful, and at least for the moment, Nozomi's hearing was disabled, something she used quite a bit in order to fully focus on a fight.

As she gained distance, maintaining a wall between the two of them, pulling up plenty of water and forming them into hundreds of needles, as if she was using the Thousand Water Needles technique. In fact, she was, holding the Tiger, but as the needles coalesced around her, she commandeered the technique with her Water Heaven's Convergence technique rather than complete the technique as it was. Shimiko wanted to use her needles, but Nozomi knew plenty how to make that sort of fighting more up her alley.

The thing about Nozomi and Shimiko's fighting style being so similar was that Nozomi knew best how to counter her, because she had figured out how best to counter herself. She knew that the best way to eliminate her weaknesses was to figure out what they were in the first place. A pure head on fight was out of the question, especially given that Shimiko had that device on her arm, and could more than likely use that technique again if she wanted to. Water Heaven's Convergence gave her an effective fighting range of 100 meters though, and considering her speed, which she usually used to close gaps, she could easily use it to bounce out of Shimiko's range as well.

Spreading out the needles, Nozomi extended them out into 2 waves of 500 needles, one she kept closer to her, about 5 meters away, and the other she sent forward, to harass Shimiko, spread out in a 25 foot by 20 foot wall, with 1 foot distance between each needle. The ringing in her ears persisted, but she was at least starting to get it back a little. "Cute trick, but it'll take more than some noise to take me down." Nozomi snarled. Shimiko's device had unsettled her. If that had been used earlier when she wasn't aware of it, she may have lost. That didn't sit well with her.

Her teeth bared a little bit, seeming to slightly elongate as she finally drew upon the power of Isobu. Her eyes changed, growing more fierce and intense. The water lenses in her eyes destabilized, running down her face as a thin trickle of water as the Initial Jinchuuriki Mode messed with her ability to maintain it to boost her sight. She instead released the jutsu, one less thing to maintain, and she didn't need it for her new strategy. The goal: Keep away from Shimiko and wear her out before going in for one decisive blow, or take her out from a distance before that.

With the bijuu boost she received, she felt new vigor flow through her, increasing her strength, her durability, her speed, and her reaction time. Her fingernails sharpened to points, although her gloved covered that fact. She felt the small surge brought on by this form as Isobu's chakra began to seep into her own. At this stage, there was no visible aura unless someone who could see invisible chakra was present, or a sensory ninja, but the air itself around her seemed to taint with a sense of malice, as if a demon was present.

There was no mistaking it, Nozomi may be on the defensive, but she was far from losing currently. The bijuu utilization wasn't wholly necessary, but she was going to use it all the same.

Prebijuu Stamina: 99/182
-3 Water Heaven's Convergence
-1 Spring Chant
-5 Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death

PostBijuu Stamina: 142/225

New Jutsu Used: (Commandeering Thousand Flying Water Needles with Water Heaven's Convergence, via my own chakra link)

Spoiler:

UA's:
3 Tails Jinchuuriki: Suiton techs reduced by 1 rank of cost
Effecient Taijutsu Mastery: Having had such extensive training in Taijutsu as to consider it as natural as breathing, Nozomi has managed to bring out peak efficiency in her Taijutsu, expending as little stamina as possible when using Taijutsu techniques. Nozomi's Taijutsu techniques cost 1 rank less chakra

Initial Jinchuuriki Mode Activated: Post 0/5 (Haven't really utilized it yet for anything, chakra-wise or speed feats or anything, this is flavor activation.) Unique ++ to Strength, Constitution, Stamina, Speed, and Coordination, while subtracting a tier from Intelligence. Animalistic instincts begin to take over even as the nails and teeth elongate into sharp, pointed ends.

Stats:
Strength: C -> C++ [IJM, Unique]
Constitution: B -> B++ [IJM, Unique]
Stamina: B+ -> A [IJM, Unique]
Speed: A -> A++ [IJM, Unique]
Coordination: A -> S [Spring Chant] -> S++ [IJM, Unique]
Intelligence: C -> D [IJM, Negative]
Perception: A

OOC: Calling Hits

Spoiler:

Nozomi had opted to try and outrun the Electro-Audio Murder jutsu which all things considered might not have been a bad strategy if not for a few pitfalls. The first and most obvious was that the range and scope of the technique far exceeded the direction in which she was running meaning its likely she'd hit a wall before escaping its range. However, more critically, Nozomi had not seen fit to re-activate or continue her Misty Propulsion Technique. The consequence of this was that Nozomi would slow down before she ran out of the jutsu's range. The attack would continue forwards and given the two's disparity in speed it would thus strike Nozomi as previously described. Direct hit!. Shimiko thought as the sound waves would wrack her opponent's mind and body. The connection would occur before she had a chance to enter Initial Jinchurikki Mode or even construct a water wall to to impede Shimiko's movement. The second Nozomi's form crumpled to the ground from the pain of the attack, she'd ruthlessly navigate her way to her opponent. She'd avoid all obstacles in her way before stabbing and slashing Nozomi just as intended. The clash would occur before Nozomi's body even hit the ground and Shimiko would successfully tear into Nozomi's body with her Sai and needles. She would also pour blood into the wounds she had created essentially infecting Nozomi with Chinoike blood. When all was said and done, her opponent would be laying in a pool of both competitor's blood. Shimiko would be covered in blood and sweat as she stood above Nozomi's near lifeless body. The assault would normally have been sufficient to kill most people but the Chinoike had held back significantly and thus her opponent would live. The match had been hard fought but she was confident that it was no over. No one could come back from damage like that, not even a jinchurikki. She took a few deep breaths panting at the amount of chakra she had used in such a short time frame. The ANBU's eyes ran across the the spectator stands as she searched for her loved ones. The task made her weary and she found herself giving up before she could locate those who mattered most to her. She instead turned her attention to Nozomi and then to the proctor.

"Call it"

Spoiler:

OOC, Contesting Called Hit: Note, I'm incredibly sorry for the length of this thing, it might be hard to understand, but I can explain my math if needed. This may be mostly unnecessary, if my first point is enough.

Spoiler:

A smaller issue with the post is that you'd have me running into a wall? One, Nozomi could easily steer away from one regardless of having to maintain a mostly straight line (no sharp curves or change in immediate direction). Two, we're in a 500 meter wide circular arena. Even if she did run into a wall, unless it was at a 90 degree angle, she wouldn't hit smack into it, and would be forced to follow the curve of the wall.

Unless you meant that you would be taking the Audio technique *with* you until Nozomi ran into a wall, which I have a point to contend against. The attack itself is Activation only, which would center the range of the technique at its original point of activation. The 80 meter range is stationary. Once it travels up to 80 meters away from where it was activated, it dies out. Theoretically, I could run in a circle and end in the same point, and even if it chases me, it can only do so for 80 meters of actual movement and could die out right where it was activated from if it was brought back there. And it has to do that in one continuous go.

/OOC

Here is my refutation, I've broken it up into two parts:


Point 1

Spoiler:

Point 2

Spoiler:

Point 3

Spoiler:

Here with the ruling:

Nozomi's Use of Petal Propulsion:

Shimiko's Use of her Melody Arm Speaker:

As a Final Ruling: Shimiko successfully pursues Nozomi and connects with all attacks aforementioned. Nozomi is blasted with an S-rank power Sound Technique and perforated by Shimiko's bladed attacks. Given her Constitution is B-tier she would be left badly injured with multiple lacerations and stab wounds while under the influence of the S-rank Sound Technique. Although she is not unconscious or near death her performance for the remainder of the fight will be severely hampered unless some of her injuries were healed.

Nozomi had misjudged the effective timer of Shimiko's attack, as she suddenly felt herself falling balance after making the Water Needles, which floated a few meters above the two of them. For a decent distance, Nozomi had actually managed to keep pace with Shimiko's technique, but she had let herself slow down too soon. She could feel the trickle of blood leaving her ears, running out of her nose, and her head felt like it was going to explode with the pounding headache she was receiving. Her body would have started to spasm, but in the lapse of time that Nozomi stopped moving, halted by the technique, she received quite a combination of strikes from Shimiko.

Nozomi's Flak Jacket would prove sturdier than Shimiko probably expected, as it outright blocked the needles attempting to jab through it, bending the hollow steel upon impact. Her twin sai would also encounter heavy resistance from her armor, which if Nozomi was capable of moving would have given her a chance to deflect or halt their momentum, but they would push forward through it with some difficulty. It still took most of the shock and impact force out of the sai, absorbing and dispersing the force through the jacket itself, leaving the puncturing damage as the brunt of what she received from it. The rest of the needles found their mark, injecting the blood inside them into Nozomi, although it was an amount that was minimal at best. However, Shimiko continued her assault, slashing at her tendons and unarmored areas, flooding her with more blood.

Nozomi fell back to the ground, her body bloody, shaking from the Audio Murder's spasm inducing attack as well. Nozomi was still conscious, her eyes locked onto Shimiko, seathing with anger and pain. But she was still conscious, still alive, and that meant the fight was not yet over. Shimiko called to the proctor to call the match, but Nozomi felt the influence of Isobu trying to creep through her, trying to force itself out. She didn't fight it, harnessing her anger and hatred for the moment, and working with it. In return for using his abilities, weakening the seal that kept him at bay, Nozomi felt her body revitalize, a rush of relief surging through her.

The needles inside her, now empty of their fluid and no longer under Shimiko's influence, forced themselves out of her as the wounds the made closed with a sizzle of heat, letting off a little smoke as they did so. Likewise, the rest of Nozomi's injuries closed up with incredible speed, and the blood that had infiltrated her body almsot seemed to boil inside her, although obviously not as that would be extremely bad. Of course, the toxic nature of a Bijuu's chakra was greater than that of Shimiko's own mortal chakra, and over powered Shimiko's, destroying the invasive chakra as it came into contact with hers. Nozomi's hearing rushed back to normal as her eardrums repaired themselves faster than she would ought thought they would have and with the rush of hearing, Nozomi had new life breathed into her.

A burst of chakra rushed from Nozomi, one only seen previously by those present at the Valley. Isobu's vile chakra would seep over Nozomi, coating her in an orange aura of burning and visible chakra, with a single tail seeming to come from it. The aura took on the vague shape of Isobu, although coating Nozomi it was much slimmer and fit her figure rather than appearing completely as a turtle. Nozomi surged up with increased speed and coordination, and a general increased ferocity. The cloak itself had substance, able to touch the ground and interact with the world, and it wasn't restricted to moving with Nozomi's full movements, operating both with her and independently at the same time.

Nozomi would launch a strike towards Shimiko's face with her right fist, and if Shimiko attempted to side dodge it, the cloak's fist would expand outward, toward Shimiko's new location, effectively launching a double punch. The same while, Nozomi would follow Shimiko if she tried to retreat. Their speed wasn't that much different currently, and backpedaling was always slower than moving forward. Her left arm would move towards Shimiko's neck, attempting to grab her by the throat and slam her into the ground. The tail, operating on it's own, snaked out to hook behind Shimiko's right knee to yank her off her feet. Regardless of she did, Nozomi would bring the needles that were still suspended in the air raining down towards Shimiko. Her armor might stop some of them if they hit, but there were many. Nozomi didn't even bother to shield herself from the needles, the boost from the cloak was plenty to protect her. Her skin currently had an steel flesh quality to it, and wasn't easy to puncture. Combined with the cloak's protective nature, her own armor, and her healing factor as well, Nozomi was completely unfazed by the needles.

She spread out the thousand needles to rain down over the rest of a 25 foot wide circle. Nozomi was full of rage, and had a complete lock on Shimiko as her target to pump her aggression into. She didn't have anyone else to worry about in this fight. Shimiko was going to have her hands full from this point on.

Prebijuu Stamina: 95/182
-3 Water Heaven's Convergence (commandeered the Thousand Water Needles rather than launching them last post, they're now part of this upkeep)
-1 Spring Chant

PostBijuu Stamina: 138/225

Spoiler:

The proctor hadn't moved or spoken. Shimiko grew frustrated and was about to yell at him when she noticed a red glow emanating from her opponent. Shimiko watched as red chakra poured from Nozomi and enveloped her in a protective cloak. The ANBU stepped back a few paces as she watched Nozomi heal her wounds with the power of her Bijuu. Shimiko swallowed and gripped her Sai as she became acutely aware of the needles above her. So this is the power of a Tailed Beast? It appeared that Nozomi was finally going all out and Shimiko didn't even have time to fully assess the situation. If the enemy was kicking it up a notch, so would she.

Before Nozomi's physical attacks or needles could reach her, Shimiko would release all of the blood that was held within Chinowakugumi. Several cubic tons of blood would explode outwards from every square inch of her armor. Shimiko increased the density of the blood through the use of the Plasticity technique as it flowed outwards from every direction. The ultra-dense liquid blood would be more than sufficient to divert and deflect the needles that threatened to rain down from above. Shimiko retained exquisite control over the mass of blood with her Ketsuryugan. Her target was faster (no doubt a consequence of her Bijuu powers) and the aura was creating a distortion effect. Shimiko instantly activated Neon Vision the moment her focus blurred thereby counter-acting the effect. The explosion of the liquid also didn't obstruct her vision as Chinoike could naturally see through their own blood. The blood flowed directly from her person and blocked each of Nozomi's strikes. The girl's attacks were thoroughly shut down given the disparity between Nozomi's enhanced strength and the increased density of the blood. The volume of blood was akin to a ocean and it would sweep over Nozomi covering her and crushing her in a giant sphere. The attack was delivered at point-blank range and given the volume of blood and Nozomi's forward momentum in attacking Shimiko, it would be near impossible to escape.

The blood coagulated and contorted as it flowed around the enemy and seized her limbs. Shimiko was now visible to the crowd as she moved her arms in concert with the blood. The movements weren't necessary as she could control it telepathically but she found it helped keep her centered in the heat of battle when her emotions threatened to overtake her.

If the maneuver was successful, the blood would hold Nozomi fast and exert significant pressure on her body. The cloak would break and place heavy pressure on her limbs. Shimiko concentrated the blood further, using its raw tonnage to continuously break Nozomi's bones at a faster pace than she could reasonably heal. Eventually her opponent would either pass out from pain or run out of steam. Blood swirled and streamed around Shimiko herself as she kept enough to protect her from any unanticipated attacks. She was drenched in her own blood but that didn't bother her. All that mattered right now was securing her victory.

Spoiler:

Perhaps it was her more animalistic nature currently, but Nozomi could sense a shift in Shimiko. For the first time in this fight, she was starting to feel a taste of fear or unease by the power that Nozomi seemed to be able to output. And like the predator that she was, she knew that it was the time to sweep in for the kill. Having caught the (metaphorical) scent of blood, she would track down her prey. Unfortunately for her though, her opponent released more (literal) blood than Nozomi had quite been expecting, although she should have seen it coming since she had done the same thing against Yomi.

The blood smashed into her, although her cloak did a good job in shielding her body from the brunt of the blood itself and surrounding her. Nozomi felt a surge of chakra and anger flash through her, although it was very out of body for her. It wasn't just her own chakra, but it didn't come from Isobu either. She was not going to lose to Shimiko, not here, not now. It was as if her force of will alone powered her technique. She'd felt this before, when she had been fighting Natsuru, her force of will then making her move faster than she'd ever moved at that point.

The blood tried to crush down on her, but the cloak held it at bay for a few moments, enough for Nozomi to get charge up and spew out a technique of her own, while her hands were positioned to make a single seal, her hands crushing and healing after she formed her seal, but that just locked her hand into place already. Shimiko had earlier used False Darkness when trying to pierce Nozomi's technique. Now Nozomi was going to use the exact same technique, although powered up to match the intensity of Shimiko's blood ocean.

It ruined Shimiko's plasticity over her blood. The two techniques clashed, and Nozomi launched her hands into the rest of the seals, now that she had more give. She'd earlier put her hand in position with the ram seal, ready for the end of her False Darkness technique. With the end of her technique, Nozomi's primed chakra shifted from Raiton seemlessly into Suiton. Earlier she had attempted to utilize Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave and been interrupted, but having shifted Shimiko's blood back to normal, she started pumping out more water once again, clearing up the blood around her and freeing herself from the prison Shimiko had attempted to place her in.

The water from her technique, unless Shimiko tried to use another technique to overpower it or cancel it out, would push away all of the blood and power through with some waves to contend with. Nozomi herself was once again revealed to the public, seemingly unaffected by Shimiko's attack as the burst of water and blood on the field clashed against each other. She had been crushed a bit by the forces, but the healing factor was still plenty to contend with the short amount of time she'd been under the influence of the technique.

Nozomi stood atop the central origin of the wave of water, which was made into a solid platform by Nozomi, who was ready to launch herself off it if she needed to, knowing that Shimiko was a Raiton user and not wanting to get caught by the conductivity of her technique. She shot Shimiko such an intense glare that it was almost tangible through the feeling of Isobu's chakra. She'd said previously that she wouldn't kill the blonde, but Nozomi's killing intent was starting to leak through. If pushed much further, she'd more than likely rescind that earlier statement.

Popping a Technique LBP to increase the power of False Darkness to S.
Using False Darkness
Using Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave
Maintaining Spring Chant
Maintaining Water Heaven's Convergence
Activating Water Walking
Post 2/5 Version 1
Post 2/5 Nonlethal Wound Healing

From within the swelling orb of blood that Shimiko had conjured, she could see Nozomi moving inside. The cloak that had formed around her was tough but Shimiko was certain she could break it and smash the devil to pieces. She panted as she continued swaying her arms to layer the blood one after the other to minimize the chance of escape. Suddenly a bright glow of blue electricity appeared from within the literal Blood Prison. Through some unholy force Nozomi had managed to find the power to fire an impossibly strong version of False Darkness. The beam of light speared through the dome causing Shimiko to jump back in disbelief, her blood instinctualy swirling around her to form a defense. Fortunately, the jutsu was used only for the purpose of breaking her opponent out as opposed to actually hurting her. The blood lost its plasticity and Nozomi managed to free herself completely by casting a Suiton jutsu. The mass of water burst from within and the liquids were sent careening across the arena. When all was said and done, Nozomi stood in the center on a rapidly rising platform of water. The damage that had been done was already healing. Whether it was burns from the raiton or broken bones from the pressure exerted on her body, the Jincurikki stood tall.

It was at this point where Shimiko would ordinarily run. When faced with an opponent whose power far outstrips your own, it was imperative to preserve your life and that of your comrades. Pride meant nothing when it came to the ANBU Black Ops. Their sole duty was to their country and they were expected to retreat regardless of their personal stake in the fight. But how could she run now? Surrender was not an option. She was fighting for her Church, for Ryuko, for her village, and for everyone that she loved. She had sworn to break this demon and make an example out of her but it was becoming increasingly clear that she was outmatched. Shimiko's breathing rate increased as she noticed that her massive reserves had dwindled whilst Nozomi looked completely unfazed. She could not beat this enemy alone. She needed support, if not physical then the emotional and spiritual bonds of her friends and family. For the first time since she fought those bandits in Kumogakure's countryside, she found herself shaking in a fight.

Shimiko had gathered her blood closer to herself, using the excess to draw it from the water and creating a platform of her own. The two were standing at equal height and were staring at each other with malevolent intent. The Chinoike clasped her hands and channeled more of her chakra through the massive amount of blood in the arena. The liquid drew to her at top speed and the giant platform transfigured into a multi-headed serpent. The eight headed hydra shook and splattered blood across the force-field as it roared to life. The Blood Dragon Ascension Technique was one of the most powerful jutsu in her arsenal. It had been used by ancient Chinoike to defeat war bands that had intruded into their mountain homes. Its full might was now on display for all to see. Shimiko stood atop the dragon's center head which rose to a height greater than Nozomi's platform. Wordlessly, she sent five of the eight heads directly at her opponent. They easily extended to her platform as it was within range of their reach. The dragons opened their maws and attempted to bite Nozomi to pieces, unleashing a generous amount of steam with their attacks. The steam was super heated and combined to create a dense mist capable of eating through her cloak and searing her skin while the jaws would chew her to bits if they got to her. The head that Shimiko was standing on remained erect and at attention while she tried to get her emotional bearings.

Shimiko scanned the crowd. She needed reassurance. She needed her anchors to keep her in this fight. If she was going to win then she'd need to beat impossible odds and to do that she couldn't rely on her own strength. There were people she knew who would not be there to support her. Her parents. Weak and simple people that had tried to keep her from doing the one thing she loved. Seigi. Her beloved brother who was taken away from her by the plague. Ryuko and Natsuru. The former was in a coma and the latter was away charting her own journey. Shimiko had to rely on those who were present. Even if it meant taking her eyes off Nozomi for a second, she needed to find them and see them supporting her. Her eyes scanned the crowd and found Nariko. The woman was in the VIP section, stoic but very supportive. The twins, Lady Superior Mora, and her brothers and sisters in faith were all seated together cheering her on. Sakata. The man whom she loved so much it hurt. He was her first boyfriend, the first man to kiss her and make love to her. She searched the entire arena but couldn't find him. Shimiko trusted her eyesight. It was impeccable and had seen her through some of the most dangerous missions of her life. If she couldn't spy him in those few precious seconds then he wasn't there. She chanced another look, turning around fully so that every angle of the arena could be viewed. There was no sign of him whatsoever. He had to have known that this fight meant everything to her and if he wasn't present then it was because something was physically preventing him or he didn't want to be there. Either way, her spirit was set ablaze with a mixture of despair and rage.

Where is he....Where is he?!....WHERE IS HE?! she thought as the corners of her eyes leaked with blood. To onlookers the Chinoike would appear to have gone mad. She knelt atop her dragon's head while mouthing the words to herself. She tried to focus on hitting Nozomi with five of the dragon's heads but her trembling would now be obvious to anyone looking at the match.

Spoiler:

The fight was drawing to a close fairly soon, Nozomi could see that much. Shimiko was panting from exertion, and had been using chakra at an exorbitant rate the entire match. On the other hand, Nozomi was still relatively refreshed by the Bijuu's chakra which was enhancing her chakra pool as it was. She was a conservative chakra user, with exceptional chakra control. Shimiko was incredibly powerful, that much was evident. Nozomi had  miscalculated and had she not had the bijuu, she would have lost the match already. Still, she was confident that knowing Shimiko's skill set would prepare her for next time and she wouldnt have to rely on Isobu again.

Still, Nozomi had to give her opponent some respect. She still rose up to meet Nozomi, both on their liquid platforms. Their gazes locked for a moment, and Nozomi nodded her head to acknowledge Shimiko's resolve. It was an almost imperceptible movement, but there were some trained enough to notice. Nozomi checked her anger, calming herself and suppressing the Bijuu's influence. She knew if she kept her anger influencing her, she could make a mistake and still lose, or lose control. Neither of those things were good options.

Her cloak settled down as she regained control of her emotions and for a moment, small as it was, everything calmed down. The crowd was cheering, but Nozomi barely noticed any noise as every ounce of attention she had was focused on the arena, herself, and her opponent.

And just as the moment came, it went just  as fast. Sound came rushing back as time moved forward again. Shimiko had jumped into action, and Nozomi wouldnt be caught slouching.

Shimiko clapped her hands together, forming and pulling her blood into a giant 8 headed dragon made purely of blood. Part of Nozomi was mad that she had yet to master  bijuu transformation, as she would have enjoyed a kaiju battle, but it wasnt to be. Nonetheless, Nozomi was completely ready to continue the fight. It was an impressive jutsu for sure, but Shimiko would have been better off simply using the LRA and relying on herr own speed and taijutsu.

While the dragon was big and a powerful jutsu, Nozomi was far faster than it was. And with Shimiko running so low on chakra, Nozomi could tell, the pressure had gotten to her. Shimiko had made a mistake using this jutsu. 5 of the 8 heads lashed towards Nozomi, with Shimiko on top of one and the other two on standby, presumably to try and catch Nozomi if she slipped through the first five.

Building up her chakra, Nozomi launched herself off to the right side at her full speed, which far outstripped the speed of the Blood Dragon's heads. She also outpaced her water's movement speed, which had been her platform for standing, but it didn't matter that much, as at the last step before her platform ended, Nozomi bounded upwards with a leap. As Nozomi cleared the Dragon Head Barrage, she would suddenly shift her body to point like a torpedo towards Shimiko.

Her body seemed to halt its movement, as she bent her knees. She slightly shifted her stance, moving into the more classic Arhat Fist style for maximized power, and a small petal platform had formed at the bottom of her feet, although Shimiko might not have even seen it through her cloak, just seeing the slightly horizontal girl halt in midair. And then a burst of Nozomi's built up chakra launched her towards Shimiko with her Petal Propulsion jutsu and assisted launch off the platform blasting Nozomi at peak speeds.

Right before launching, Nozomi had started to move her hand into an uppercut, which due to her current horizontal plane meant her arm was pointing towards Shimiko and started moving forward as she did. And with her speed from the burst, Nozomi sought to slam into Shimiko at a huge speed, with the added power from her strike as well and smash through Shimiko's defense using the strongest combination. At peak speed and with her strength, a hit to her LRA defense would more than likely burst through. And the dragon wasn't fast enough to intercept. Nozomi would finish Shimiko with a single strike.

Even were she to miss, which was unlikely,  Shimiko likely had nothing left to retaliate with that would be able to hurt Nozomi and put her down, and she'd be carried pretty far as well, but Shimiko was starting to break, and was freaking out, so she was not entirely focused on the fight anymore. That would be her undoing.

Arhat Fist -1
Water Heaven's Convergence -3
Misty Petal Propulsion -3
Misty Petal Platform -1
Slamming Palm -1
Water Walking -0

Taijutsu Bonus: All taijutsu cost 1 rank less stamina

Post 3/5 Version 1
Post 3/5 Nonlethal Wound Healing

Stamina: 110/225

Strength: C -> C++ [V1, Unique] -> B++ [Arhat Fist] -> A++ [Slamming Fist]
Constitution: B -> A [V1, Unique]
Stamina: B+ -> A [V1, Unique]
Speed: A -> A++ [V1, Unique] -> S++ [Misty Petal Propulsion]
Coordination: A -> S [V1, Unique]
Intelligence: C -> D [V1, Negative]
Perception: A