The HOT ZONE: Cascade Research Facility

Bige Brain:

Kitsuki was standing guard right behind the so-called "Bige Brain" of Waterfall. They were located in the center laboratory of the base. It was sealed off from the rest of the compound not only for security purposes but for the scientist's ego. He said he needed an entire building to himself and that building needed to be separate from the other primates that were working under him. Kit had rolled her eyes when she had heard this but beyond that she didn't have much to say. The area around the research installation was nothing like she had ever seen before. It was as if some severe rash had infected that part of land. Plants turned red and grotesque, animals with multiple limbs that spoke in queer tongues, mushrooms that seemed to spew black fumes into the sky. Most of the time you needed a Hazmat suit to work around in the densest part of the Hot Zone. Given how strange the land was, it came as no surprise that both sides were vying for its resources. The situation was unprecedented and complex but Kit decided she didn't want to wrap her head around geopolitics.

It was bad enough she was taking this mission but it wasn't like she had much of a choice. Help was requested and she had come highly recommended. The guy she was protecting was a bonafide jerk but he was largely harmless. He did his work, talked to himself, and she just stood there watching out for threats. It wasn't glorified but it was what she had signed up for. Kit's posture was immaculate as she rested both palms on her cane and remained a respectable distance from the Brain.

That's when she noticed it.

It was quiet. Too quiet. The normal hustle-bustle of the center lab died down until it was eerily quiet. Kit perked up and peeked outside the Brain's lab. She saw scores of unconscious guards and support staff. Immediately alarmed, she shut the door and turned to him.

"Excuuuuuuuuuuuuuuse Me!" The whiny voiced scientist complained. "Do you know how hard it is to work with you slamming doors?"

Kit raised a finger to her lips and said: "Shush! Shut up. Something's wrong. Very wrong. I'm going to hide you. I'll be right back." Normally she wouldn't be this rude but given the circumstances (and her charge) she opted for a more direct approach.

Kitsuki made the necessary handseal and created a shadow clone. The doppelganger walked over to the scientist, took him by the collar and stowed him in an empty cabinet. She threatened the man with a blissful sleep if he opted to bitch and moan as he was wont to do. The real Kitsuki, meanwhile, stepped out into the hallway and towards the entrance.

It was the same scene all around. All the guards were either dead or unconscious. What mechanism had incapacitated so many high ranked shinobi? She wasn't sure. She could guess why she had been spared though. Bige Brain's area was totally locked off from the rest of the installation. Food, sleep, air all of it had been curated and siphoned off for him separately. Whatever the Bear spies had done to render the security apparatus inert, it had not reached her charge. This was good. They also couldn't afford to send in a hit squad that would make too much noise and provide a stronger counter-response.

No they'll try something different...they'll....

Kit stopped just as she entered the wide open space that served as the entrance to the building. Bodies littered the ground but there was one individual standing before her. It was her opponent.

"Oh I see" she said as she gripped her cane and settled into a defensive stance.

Clone: 55 CP
Kitsuki: 55 CP

Mort had no idea what had happened. Here he was, on a mission to go take out some high value target, and somehow he was now kneeling over some poor sod with nary a peep coming out of him. Looking around he'd see that he had somehow done the same thing to everyone else, and yet, his sword was still sheathed. Was he the one who did this? Thinking back he'd go over just how he had surrounded himself with a pile of hopefully-not corpses.

"Ohshitshitshitshitshit-wait, I can glide!"
~
"You't think they wouldn't just leave a door unlocked like this."
~
"Huh. Shimiko's class actually did teach us a thing or two about interrogation."
~
"Intruder!"
~
'Dumbass. My turn.'

Ahh, that's right. He didn't, but Id did. Taking his hand off the last shinobi, the taste of Yang energy filling his mental mouth he'd think back to who his target was supposed to be, and was disappointed that none of those who were around looked like his target. 'Well Id, you got any leads as to where the man is now?' 'Nothing outside of what we were told. he has to be somewhere in this building, and if intel was correct, there were just the mooks and not the one guarding their target.'

"Oh I see"

Jumping a little he'd turn around and look to see who spoke. It was a smaller girl, almost half a foot shorter then himself. Her own green eyes mirrored his own eyes, the innocence in them reminding him of himself. It was a little bit sad, as he didn't want to fight someone with the same kind of eyes as his. 'Do we know her Id?' 'Nope. She may look like she'd be more at home in Kumo, but the taste in the air is different. Be on your guard.' 'Can you ever give an answer and not insult a person at the same time?' 'No.' During the entire conversation in his mind, he'd note her stance as he tried to form some sort of sentence to say as his eyes started to shift from a bright green to a dullish grey.

"Oh. Oh my this must seem bad. I mean, seeing someone surrounded by a bunch of knocked out shinobi would put anyone on edge, and I fully understand if you don't exactly trust me right now." Okay, how was he going to go about this? Height jokes would get him killed, what else? "But, if you can tell me where a guy who's nickname is 'Big Brain' is, I'd be really grateful." Regrettably, his body was starting to move on its own as he put his right hand over Excalipoor, his arm brushing up against his leather vest as he hoped that she'd just say where he was. Though he'd probably have to knock her out, and that was an uncomfortable thought. This was war, and unlike battle it needed to end as soon as possible while still keeping the scaring, both physical and mental, low

Mentally prepping himself with a fighting stance, his eyes had turned a deep purple, reflecting the girl's face like a mini mirror.

---

135/135 CP
➤Red Tiger Style: No bonus, no cost
135 CP Remains

Kitsuki's opponent was not at all what she had expected. The girl had figured that her enemy would be a hulking and mysterious shinobi from a Minor Nation who spoke little and fought a lot. What she saw before her was a whimsical young man with a pair of color changing eyes. Doujutsu? Kitsuki immediately looked away after realizing her mistake. She had been fragged once by Genjutsu in the Chuunin Exams and she'd rather not repeat that embarrassment. He asked where the "Big Brain" was and even though he sounded like he was joking, she could only assume that his intentions were not good. He was here to kill the Brain, while she was here to protect him.

"I don't know anyone by that name but you're in a restricted area. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave. If you don't, I'll have to escort you out by force"

She had thrown his cavalier politeness back at him. Clearly, he had something to do with the scores of unconcious shinobi lying around them and clearly she knew where the Big Brain was. Neither party was going to be talking their way out of this fight.

Kitsuki began to twirl her titanium cane. The object moved like a steady windmill as she settled into a defensive stance. She wouldn't make the first move, instead she gazed at his feet so that she could gauge when and how he'd move without looking at his eyes.

Meanwhile, Zizz nestled in her hair silently gathering Grace in preparation for Tenshijutsu should it become necessary.


+5 Grace Points

Total Grace Pool: 5

Kitsuki was fairly lucky that Mort didn't have a dojutsu as his eyes changing color wasn't actually linked to his eyes, but instead his KKG in general. Still, he was confused for a moment when she looked away as that went against basic battle logic. Then again shinobi did use genjutsu, and that made it hard to keep eye contact as well. Listening to the girl speak he'd frown slightly, recognizing the lie pretty quickly. He couldn't really blame her, they were at war, and sometimes you had to lie, even if it's a completely bold faced one.

"*Sigh* That's a shame, though I can't exactly head on out yet. Still, I appreciate your dedication to the job and willingness to stand your ground. As such, I'll try to make this as painless as possible, though I can't exactly guarantee anything."

Focusing on her location as he spoke, he'd take advantage of her eyesight being focused on his feet and make the Snake and Rat signs with his open hand, sending the chakra out and letting genjutsu try to take hold. Honestly, he hated the technique as he once used it on himself and, well it was one of the few things Id never brought up. He'd hope that it wouldn't cause much trauma to the girl, but it was the safest way to knock her out. At the same time he'd draw out Excalipoor, leaving the bokken in the sheathe for the time being, settling into a 1-handed Red Tiger stance properly now and hoping she hadn't recognized the Jutsu quite yet as he watched the cane.

---

135/135 CP
➤Demonic Illusion Hell Viewing: -3 CP (1 Hand, E rank hand seal speed)
➤Red Tiger Style: No bonus, no cost
133 CP Remains

As expected, the affable assassin declined her offer to leave. The second he refused, the twirling of the cane intensified as she poured Wind chakra into it. A large gust of wind circulated around it and several chairs began to gravitate towards her. When he mentioned making this as painless as possible, she knew that there could be no hesitation at this point. It was on.

"I wish I could extend the same appreciation. But one of us is here to protect life, the other to take it. Whatever happens.....don't say you weren't warned." she said in response.

Entirely unaware of the Genjutsu that he had just loosed on her, Kitsuki noticed the weapon he drew and decided that she could beat him in a one-on-one close quarters match. Kitsuki picked up the speed of her twirling and with it the vortex that was being formed. Several chairs began to levitate in concert with the wind-storm. After much suspense, the genin spun around and violently gestured towards the young man with her cane. Five chairs would be hurled towards him at super-human force. Several bodies and chairs were scattered out of the way as the projectiles threatened to knock the impudent boy away.


+5 Grace Points
Total Grace Pool: 15

Aero Vortex: (5 Chairs thrown at B-Rank Speed) 5 CP

Kit's Chakra: 50 CP

"Oh shi-" 'Shut up and MOVE'

Kicking it into high gear, they'd flicker to the side several meters as the world blurred for a moment, only coming back once he stopped. They'd stop a little bit farther to the left then they would've preferred, but they were safe for the moment. forming another 1-handed sign, they'd

"Seriously, what are they teaching people nowadays? That could've killed me. Honestly I hate having to move that fast, but a job's a job and I'd rather not have someone damage this body." Their voice had changed slightly, taking on a feminine reverb to it. "Still, I gotta say that was pretty neat. Still, that's nothing compared to this kid." Forming chakra in their hands, they'd make a Fusee orb and fire it off at Kit's feet, tryint to get it to explode at her feet while opting not to move to let their eyesight recover. Until the genjutsu took hold and they saw her reaction, they couldn't make a proper decision as to how they'd take down the girl. Actually there was something they could do. The eyes shifting back to green as they covered their ears, they'd speak up.

"You know kid, Since you impressed me with that attack, I'll let you in on a secret: I'm not the one who took down the people here. In fact I only took down...3 people? Yeah, that's about right. The rest were taken out by something much worse, a demon in some regards. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't planning to take the Brain in the same way those poor folks around us were taken out." Technically, it wasn't a lie, or at least Mort believed it all to be true. As far as he was concerned, the only thing Mort and his Id shared was an origin and a body.

---

133/135 CP
➤Demonic Illusion Hell Viewing: no upkeep cost, 2 post til C-rank dmg.
➤Body Flicker Technique, -5 CP; +1 Tier Speed (No hand seal UA, -1 tier percep)
➤Red Tiger Style: -1 CP Upkeep; Speed +, Coord +
➤Flare gun Technique: -3 CP (C-speed)
124/135 CP Remains

Kitsuki's opponent flickered away from the torrent of chairs just in the nick of time. He wasn't particularly fast which meant that for whatever reason they hadn't sent in the big guns. Both sides might be reserving their best and brightest for War's endgame. She wasn't exactly a chess wizard but the WASP had taught her how to play and one of the key strategies she had learned was that sometimes it was better to save your stronger pieces for later. They were both pawns in a sense, except she was much further along to becoming a Queen than he was.

The enemy complained loudly that her technique could have ended his life. She doubted that was true as she'd been holding back quite a bit. If he was as slow and weak as he seemed, then she could only assume that physical combat weren't where his talents lay. He had carried a sword but that could easily have been a feint or a secondary skill. Kitsuki put it all together: the color shifting eyes, the relatively pitiful physical fitness, the general weirdness and mental "off-ness", and the way he appeared to be constantly stalling. It reminded her of her certain wheelchair bound girl, and worse still, a certain hooded boy. Kit had learned to tell the hallmark characteristics of a Genjutsu user and this was it. She also knew that Genjutsu could occasionally take a while time to set in. Kit's bout at the end of the Chuunin Exams had been a painful experience but it was an experience that she learned from.

The way Mort spoke was rather disturbing. There was an abrupt shift in voice and a mention of "damaging this body."

Does he mean his own body?

Just when Kit thought that no retaliation would follow, the mad lad tossed an orb directly at her feet. Fortunately, her Coordination was superior to his. The second the orb was created then throw, Kit's twirling intensified once more. A gust of wind captured the orb and placed it in a circular stasis so as to keep it from striking the ground and exploding. She twirled her cane and flung the orb right back at Mort hoping to blind him with his own jutsu.

If Mort continued to speak then Kitsuki would listen although she wouldn't pay it any heed. She knew Irui and she knew Rini. They had done this sort of thing before when working their magical illusions. He's still stalling....

"Once I'm done with you...I'll be sure to get to this...Demon. Thanks for the tip." Kit rested her cane on her shoulder and began to slowly walk towards Mort. She was aware that he might have a Genjutsu in play even now but she wasn't exactly sure what to do about it. As she approached, she considered her options. She had settled on a few but at least one of them she had been too afraid to employ during the Exams....much to her eternal regret.

Aero Vortex: (Orb thrown at -BRank Speed, Hitting at B-Rank Strength) 5 CP

Kit's Chakra: 45 CP

+5 Grace Points
Total Grace Pool: 20

The Fusee orb pulsed with energy, threatening to explode at any moment. At the same time, Mort's face would show a bit of shock as he hadn't quite expected the orb to be caught by the same tech. If anything, the fact that the chakra orb was picked up conformed that she was a fuuton user, though as he didn't have a affinity for katon he couldn't exactly make use of that knowledge. Still, he'd have some wind chakra flow through his feet and sidestep it, even if there was a funny little thing about the orb: It couldn't actually hurt anyone no matter the speed. Still he'd keep up appearances to make it seem like it could actually do something and as soon as it hit the glass it'd explode in a lovely shower of harmless sparks.

"No problem, but to think I'd be betrayed by my own attack. I gotta say, you and your bird are more impressive then I thought, maybe you could show me how to do that sometime when things have calmed down. Speaking of which, after this is all over will you let me pet him/her/it? He'd point his own head to indicate what was CLEARLY some fort of foreign bird on her head. "I've been thinking of getting this lovely green chicken that's for sale at home and naming him Enkidu, but I'm not exactly the most experienced with animals and maybe petting the one on your head could rub off some sort 'animal affinity' thing that the pet shop owner keeps rambling about since they wouldn't even let me buy a pet rock. A pet ROCK for gods sake!

His mind was racing as he tried to think of ways out of this situation he had gotten himself in. She wasn't letting him get close, and try as he might thanks to the recent migraine he couldn't exactly recall any of the things he'd practiced recently. Combined with a recently sprained wrist making his sword skills slower it was like he was given the exact kind of person who could counter his skills. His skills. There was still one skill he hadn't tried yet, his sealing skills. sure he had only just gotten the grasp of it, but he still had his art kit and his secret technique scroll on him, so with a little bluffing he should be able to-oh god she was walking towards him, guess it's time to make it or break it.

"Now hold up there friendo, I'd advise you don't get too close. I'd rather you not have you make my partner angry and have to blow this joint in both meanings. Did you even consider why the bodies are arranged the way they are? I mean sure you blew some of them away, but most of them? Still in place for what they need." He'd pull out an ink vial and an ink brush and wave them before putting them back in his pouch. "Now, they had me paint all of these seals on these guy's chests that's infused with their chakra, and I know for a fact that unlike me they don't exactly care about casualties, and I doubt they'll wait for me to get out. So let's just stay where we are and not have it all get blow up to smithereens while they do their part.

He needed more time, but what could he do? Outside of bluffing he wasn't fast enough to swing his sword or draw up a seal, and-wait. waitwaitwait. he had it. "As for me, I'm gonna do some art while I wait for their signal since they're probably in the Brain's room already." He'd sheathe his sword an pull out the scroll, ink and pen as he'd begin drawing up enclosing seals onto the scroll. "Tell me, are you more of a fan of realism or abstract? If she kept walking towards him, he'd continue to back up while giving himself a straight line to the door, but if she started to run at him instead or got far enough away from the hall she came from, then he'd just try to flicker and hope he could find the man in time. And an exit, this couldn't have been the only exit.

---

124/135 CP
➤Demonic Illusion Hell Viewing: no upkeep cost, 1 post til C-rank dmg.
➤Red Tiger Style: -1 CP Upkeep; Speed +, Coord +
➤Fūton: Kaze Sanpo [Wind Release: Wind Walk] -3 CP; ++ Speed
➤Body Flicker Technique, -5 CP; +1 Tier Speed (No hand seal UA, -1 tier percep)
- ONLY if she tries to run at him.
115/135 or 120/135 CP Remains

The flare ball blew up without much effect. This caused Kit to blink in surprise. Mort was rather odd in terms of both his arsenal and personality. He was also rather rude too. Kitsuki gave him an annoyed look when he called her guardian Angel a "bird."

He just called you a bird...and he says he wants to pet you
ⵀⴻ ⴷⵉⴷ ⵏoⵜ ⵊⵓⵙⵜ!

Zizz popped out of Kit's hair and hovered directly over the girl. She grew to her full size (akin to a small fairy or bird) and had a sour expression on her tiny face. The Angel made a series of gestures indicating that Mort was being extremely rude. It wasn't exactly sign language but it was a veritable attempt at charades. Whether or not Mort understood the series of gestures was irrelevant as after Zizz believed that her point was made, she'd dive bomb back into Kit's hair to gather more Grace. Mort continued to ramble in a way that made Kit even more suspicious. He talked about touching Zizz which was not going to happen and then he blathered about owning a pet rock. She wasn't surprised that the pet shop owner had banned him from owning this coveted green chicken. He came across as irresponsible and in need of serious mental evaluation. If the situation weren't life and death, she would have smiled at his buffoonery. Either this guy was certifiable or he was working a complex illusion.

Let's make sure its not the latter....

Kit stopped about 6 feet away from him. She didn't do it because he told her to halt, she did it because she needed to consider what she was about to do next. He mentioned blowing them up but Kitsuki simply didn't believe him. First he had gone on about some Demon doing it and now after this mysterious Demon had knocked out everyone, he had painted seals on them? It hadn't been that long since things had gotten quiet and she doubted he had time to paint a bomb on each of them. He was doing what Genjutsu experts did best, he was stalling for time.

Kitsuki gripped her cane tightly. This was the moment of truth. Kitsuki had learned about Genjutsu back at the WASP. She had learned that there were many ways to dispel illusions and one of them included utilizing pain. The problem was that you'd need to inflict a degree of pain on yourself that was equivalent to the Genjutsu that you were under. The obvious problem here is that Kitsuki wasn't even sure she was under the influence of Genjutsu let alone what level of complexity. To make matters worse, she was a rather tough girl and so meting out the exact amount of pain was difficult. If she used too little, it wouldn't work, but if she used too much, then she'd put herself out of commission.

It was why she had hesitated so long at the Exams. It was why she had fallen prey to Rini's tricks. It was why she had lost. She was listening to Mort mainly as background noise at this point. When he mentioned the possibility of the Brain already being compromised though, she decided to stake her final decision on a last minute gamble.

She poofed the clone that was protecting the Brain. The moment she received knowledge that the Brain was in fact safe, she acted. "Realism" she replied before slamming her cane against her forehead. She held back ever so slightly but even not operating at full strength the pain was enough to send her on her back and into a table. She crashed into it Bubba-Ray Dudley style, staring up at the ceiling with a bloody bruise in the middle of her forehead.  Fortunately for Kitsuki, the action was undertaken just before the illusion had inflicted any harm on her. She was safe. For now. She could still move and think but the pain was rather onerous. It prevented her from actually fighting him at this exact second. The musician closed her eyes and pretended to be unconscious. She wasn't sure if she could successfully BS the BSer but she figured it was worth a chance. She was listening very closely to what he said and did. She could use this opportunity to rest but more importantly, her feint might clue her in as to what game he was playing or even lure him into coming closer thinking he had defeated her.


C-Tier Strength blow to Kit's head. B-Tier Constitution keeps her conscious but slightly injured.  
Total Grace Pool: 24

Mort had seen a lot, even if most of it was fake. As the holder of the Kurama Clan's KKG, he was subject to many Genjutsu's to try and improve his mental barriers as well as hone his 'self' whatever that meant. But when what Mort thought was a bird grew in size and had a shape unlike much of what he had seen, he couldn't help but marvel at it. And then he...heard something? Saw?

"Oh cool, your bird can-wait it can communicate...kinda?" It was weird. On one hand he was getting that the thing was mad at him, but at the same time it was...fuzzy?just looking at the thing felt like he was listening to a radio that wasn't tuned properly and kept fading in and out. It was also making his head hurt, like, a lot. Not as bad as his migraines, but enough that it was forcing him out of his Yang-induced high that he'd been in since taking out all the guards, and if he was exiting the high, that meant Id's high was going to end shortly as well, and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing right now.

As Kit entered his zone of control, he was silently glad that there wasn't any outlying genjutsu that he had no control over making it clear he was a user, though his stalling tactics probably gave that away already. No, while he wasn't exactly comfortable with her being so close without his sword out he didn't have much to work with. When she tightened the grip on her cane, he'd tense up, ready to put out a hand seal to counter her attack when...she smacked herself? Oh, and that bleeding was kinda..well it wasn't pretty, that's for sure. Still, he wouldn't pass up the opprotunity, he just...needed to get some thoughts straight as he did so.

"I...um...hm. Well. Out of all the ways I expected to win a fight, it was not this, though I won't exactly say no to this development. I...guess this counts as a victory? Id, does that qualify, cuz it sure doesn't feel like one." 'Just take the weapon and go. Better to disarm her now and hope she doesn't wake up then have it before you finish the mission. It'll also make you shut up.' "I guess, but I'm holding it against you if she's dead because of all this." 'No deal. Also, what was that? A bomb on everyone? couldn't you of said something more believable?' "Well what else was I supposed to say? I've only just picked up the basics, can't blame a guy for trying to make the best out of a bad matchup you fucking demon.

He'd walk over, watching her body in case she unexpectedly woke up as he'd move past her to the hall, but stay just far enough to keep the seal in range. Placing his hand on the scroll he'd have the seal activate and seal up her weapon, the cane that had been giving him so much trouble for the past...how long? Eh, he didn't have a watch and Id certainly wasn't keeping track. He was tempted to take some chakra from her, but he could do that after the job was done when he was making sure she was alive. Instead, he'd reach into his backpack, hastily write a note saying 'Sorry! Hope I didn't mess you up too bad! And sorry about insulting your bird!' and book it down the hallway, scroll in hand and steps silent from the continued Wind Walk. As much as he wanted to check to make sure she was alive or to pet the weird bird-thing, he needed to get the job done first and show he was capable of working on his own.

---

120/135 CP Remains
➤Red Tiger Style: -1 CP Upkeep; Speed +, Coord +
➤Fūton: Kaze Sanpo [Wind Release: Wind Walk] -1 CP upkeep; ++ Speed
➤1 Enclosing Seals written, not activated & 19 small scrolls worth of ink remains
➤Enclosing Technique on Kit's Cane, -3 CP
115/135 CP Remains

(Permission was given to edit)

He was talking to himself. He was literally talking to himself. What kind of sick and barbaric nation put a mentally ill shinobi on the frontlines of a major War. Granted, it was a war between two Minor Nations but it was a war all the same. He must be one of those autistic genius types....

She heard him approach from the side as if re-positioning himself. He was walking past her but in doing so getting close even if his ultimate destination would put her out of his range. Before he could reach that ultimate destination and thus escape her, she acted. Now! She curled her middle finger against her thumb, built pressure, channeled her Fuuton Release into her fingers, and then fired by flicking at him. It was a smooth act with little warning and no lack of accuracy. The action was further made easier as she didn't need to sit up, she just kept her arm down and flicked from the side of her body he was walking near.

A burst of wind would fire from her fingers propelled by her insane strength. The blast was fired from less than six feet away and given the trouble Mort had had in avoiding her attack from much further, connection was highly likely. If the blow struck him, he'd be tossed like a ragdoll and sent sprawling. She guessed that because he was a Genjutsu user he was rather frail. This meant her attack was sure to be a knock-out blow but just to be sure, she stood up and walked over to him. She slammed a heeled boot onto his chest preventing him from getting up. If he did anything crazy with his hands, she'd stomp on his chest cavity caving it in and breaking all of his ribs plus sternum. He'd live but he'd need emergency evac and might need to get some kind of iron lung put in.

Hopefully the mad man had enough sense to stay still in the event of his capture. Kit looked down at him. She was still a little woozy and the blood from her head was dripping on his face. It was all so uncouth and vulgar but that was what War was.

Stamina: 95/110

+5 Grace Pool
Total Grace Pool: 27

Used:
Flick (B-Rank Power, B-Rank Speed) [C-Rank Cost]

Spoiler:

He should have been more careful. Sure he was watching her as he moved, but to expect someone to simply flick their fingers and launch a powerful gust of wind wasn't something he would've been able to predict. How she had heard him move was another thing he wasn't sure of. He wasn't even touching the ground. But it still came, and with it so close he didn't have time to brace as he got hit by the full force of the flick, slamming him right into the nearby wall and briefly knocking the light out of the kid. The blood started to flow from the back of his head as it was clear he'd need medical attention from the overkill of that simple flick.

When Kit had walked over, he would do nothing as, well he was unconscious on the wall. The slam to the chest straight up pierced his chest a little as the vest was no longer there to protect him, though by some miracle it didn't hit any of his major organs, though the new sensation of pain would bring him back to consciousness, though given his situation there wasn't much he could do.

"Ooooowwwwwww, that hurtttt." He hadn't felt this sort of pain in years, enough so that he wasn't exactly sure if he could move and hadn't opened up his eyes as they were still in pain from the first trainwreck that was the flick. "Id...I swear to god if you put a sword in my gut again, I will figure out a way to actually hurt you." He'd slowly open his eyes, realizing that no, it was not his id that had stabbed him.

"...Well this sucks, guess I lost. So how does this play out then? You kill me...and let the Brain make a weapon...that'll kill more people then if he just passed on? Kinda ironic...given what you said earlier...but hey...you did warn me, so I won't judge. Even if you don't like it...sometimes you just have to do bad...in order to do good." His breathing was heavy, having to pause to speak, but other then his eyes, his mouth and his right arm his body wasn't responding. "But seeing as I'm not really able to move outside of talking...I'm up for some taking while we wait for others to show up...whether it's your team or mine. Not like I can finish my mission in this condition anyways...without a hand my genjutsu can't exactly knock you out."

Even if he wanted to, tossing a genjutsu on her with what he had was basically useless. Like it or not he had a really bad matchup, and should feel lucky that he hadn't killed anyone yet, but he didn't. The taste of defeat just...wasn't that good. Internally his Id was strangely silent, in an extremely eerie way. It wasn't their normal silence, no. It was more like they had actually gotten knocked out. The silence was so quiet that for the first time, he was actually alone in his mind. And he already was ready for it to stop. "I got some rooibos in my bag if it's still intact. Good stuff, great after having a workout. Mind heating some up while we wait? Can't exactly treat the one...who defeated me while in this state."

---

118/135 CP Remains

Kitsuki's attack landed. It was a perfect strike: clean, non-lethal, but overwhelming in its force. It was just the way she liked to fight. She had beaten her opponent and she had done so without even resorting to using Tenshijutsu. It was a milestone in her development as a kunoichi but she couldn't be too cocky just yet. There was a chance of course that this was all an illusion but if it was then she was already doomed. There was no use getting paranoid about that. Kit rested her cane on her shoulder as she pinned the young man to the floor with her foot. She was strong enough to keep him down and the second he moved his hand she'd perform the aforementioned action and send him to flavortown.

The pain arose him. He was back to talking to his imaginary friend. The whole thing unnerved her but she knew better than to ask. It might be some weird ability that'd mess her up. Better to not pry unduly. He began to prattle on about the obvious contradiction in her morality. He stated that he wasn't in a position to fight back but she wasn't going to beleive him. She had every intention of knocking him out so that he wouldn't trouble her. Reinforcement should be arriving soon and when it did they'd take him away. She couldn't spend a lot of time chatting with him because she had to check up on the Brain. She had popped her clone before taking down Mort and so she'd need to attend to him. This strange man liked talking and stalling so she figured that every word out of his mouth was either a lie, a mind game, or the delusional rambling of a pschiatric patient. There was little of value to be gained from conversing with such an individual.

The gentle-lady took her cane and pressed it against his nose.

"He isn't making a weapon. He is studying the Hot Zone to unlock its secrets. The Land of Waterfalls intends to synthesize the chemicals in this area and put them to use for humanity's sake. Not to create weapons."

That's what she had been told in her mission briefing but did she really believe it? She had never asked the Brain. Aside from the fact that he was probably too arrogant to give an actual answer, she knew he might tell her something she didn't want to hear. She didn't have much of a choice when it came to being a Chuunin. She could refuse but the act would mar her career and they'd just hire someone else. She had told herself that they couldn't possibly be so evil as to experiment with an alien power for evil's sake but she knew better than that. She was caught between a moral rock and a hard place and it upset her. She suddenly became aware of the doubt that he had sown in her mind. She had to work that out another time, not here.

"I think I've heard enough from you. You're going to sleep in the next few seconds and when you wake up you'll be in a prisoner of war camp. If and when your paymasters buy you back let them know it was Kitsuki Kurahasa that defeated you"

She wouldn't even give him a chance to reply. She'd strike him with the bulbous head of her cane. The blow would instantly knock him unconscious. Kitsuki sighed. The battle was over. She had won.

{Mort is K.O'd, and as such has failed the mission}

{Exit Thread?}

With Mort knocked unconcious, Kit headed back to check on Big Brain. She threw open the closet doors and found him in a puddle of his own making. She shook her head and told him everything was going to be fine. Seconds later, the facility was stormed by Land of Waterfalls shinobi. They debriefed Kit, took Mort away, and releived her of her duty. She had been given her pay and was sent back to Kiri with a letter of merit. It would go a long way towards her eventual promotion of Jounin. She had grown a lot since the Exams and she wanted the Mizukage to be aware of that. As she went back home after the mission, she couldn't help think of the strange purple haired warrior that had taken out the entire wing, but lost to her.

(Victory declared)

Exit