A Show Match [Invite]

“Next match! Uzumaki Takano vs. Yuki Burittsu!”

It was a very unhappy Takano that slowly mounted the steps to the improvised fighting ring, absently patting down his hip pouches and holsters where his kunai and other supplies lay. He hadn’t wanted to get involved in this stupid tournament, set up by a few Jounin sensei in order to “test” prospective Chunnin. As far as he saw whole thing was simply an opportunity to get horrifically injured in some accident and a method for the village to show off for visitors, but nonetheless his superiors had demanded he take part. Takano was not built for close range, no-holds barred contests of strength, at least ones that he could not rig in his favor with carefully laid seals beforehand that is. The rules, as had been repeatedly drilled into his head by his teacher, explicitly forbid cheating, stepping out of the ring, bribery, lethal force and maiming (yes, even if it was in a nonessential area). With all of his favorite tactics thrown out the window, Takano figured this quarterfinal match was as far as he would get.

Grumbling under his breath, Takano warmed up by flowing through a basic KBSDS kata, shaking the lead out of his limbs while he looked out over the village square. The normally clogged throughfare had been cordoned off, as to prevent the citizenry from being caught in the crossfire of the more intense matches. However, the restriction hadn’t prevented a huge crowd of shinobi from showing up to the event, hollering at the genin and exchanging bets like professional gamblers. As he watched, several angry ninja demanded money from a poor chunnin who had been betting on the loser of the last match, and was forced to hand over most of his savings to recoup his losses.

Bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, Takano settled into his stance, waiting for his opponent to arrive.

---

K.B.S.D.S (Kirigakure Basic Self Defense Skills) [150/150]

Stats:
Strength: D > D+ (w/K.B.S.D.S)
Speed: D
Constitution: D
Stamina:  D >D++ (w/Strong Lifeforce)
Coordination: D > D+ (w/K.B.S.D.S)
Intelligence: B
Perception: D+

The sign was clear as day in green letters that since becoming a shinobi of this village he wasn’t accustomed to being analyzed by others that weren’t the lady. It seemed being dragged into the village by her offered too much attention; there was nothing special about the boy, just another orphan of war and death. Imagine the thought of gazing down upon the village would lead to such an introduction within the ranks of the others a nobody simply given the title and now walked their streets with their insignia around his neck. With this thought in mind it only made Burittsu smile how they must have envied him for being in the sight of the princess but all was sheer luck now he had time to muster up a name for himself and most likely find another new ally in this crazy village. He was told this tournament would consist of no weapons and almost forced to be disqualified for not handing it over to officials with no regards but the very thought of him considering this as training sparked a fire in his chest that he couldn’t resist. On this day he wore his usual attire, a blue and white kimono, his brown skin bathed in the sunlight, making him appear darker than usual. Approaching the ring at the height of six feet tall Burittsu was a good height for a shinobi and for one to carry such a weapon. His navy blue eyes came in a set matching his hair color sporting the standard shinobi footwear he was excited to see the glare and hate from everyone.

The one that caught his attention was the monster he had waiting for him in the arena taking a step forward as he climbed his way into the ring he could only grin as his excitement grew. On this day he was going to learn more about himself without a weapon, something he thought that he could need help working on and this guy seemed like he was eager to compete. Burittsu was easily capable of moving how he wanted in his kimono; he simply lacked battle etique to bring other gear for such events. As he settled in the ring the crowd began to steer, growing louder and angrier at the site of such disrespect the outsider now shinobi fighting in their ring he wondered if this one across from him felt the same. But nonetheless it was almost time for the battle to commence. Burittsu would keep both arms at his side; it seemed best to watch how he would give and receive throughout this fight instead of giving him the advantage. From cheek to cheek his grin remained; he was indeed excited to train against this man. His voice carried out smooth but deep it seemed a quick chat never destroyed his hope of meeting a comrade. Indeed that was his plan after all but first he wanted to know if the male across from him even wanted to have anything to do with him. Or maybe a little push in the right direction would help him see that Burittsu wanted more than a fight.

“Its a… Pleasure.. Let's have a.. good time.. Call me Blitz..”

The teen’s nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply, bringing his hands back down to his sides as the final strike of his kata was completed. As he had expected, his taijustu was far below the standard set by his parents and village, having slipped hard in the few months he had taken off to get his family affairs in order. Takano could almost hear his father’s chiding tones, explaining how, while Fuinjutsu was a powerful field, he needed to make sure he could defend himself in the event an enemy got close. The Uzumaki smiled bitterly at the memory, but shook the negative thoughts away for the moment. A tournament was not the time to wallow in self-pity and what-ifs, it was a time to hone himself, to get stronger so that he would be the one protecting others when the next war came knocking.

As if summoned by his thoughts, Takano watched his opponent stride confidently towards the ring, clad in a kimono and surrounded by jeers and hatred. He had heard whispers of an outsider joining the Kirigakure shinobi ranks, with many treating it as if the genin had walked right up to the Kage’s office and slapped all three of the princesses in turn. Personally, Takano didn’t really care about the whole affair, after all he and most of his clan were once outsiders as well, and were treated much the same way as the boy was. Ninja were a rather xenophobic lot it seemed, quick to judge and isolate anyone who disrupted their perfect little village. Despite the fact that he would be soon doing his level best to put his fellow Genin in a hospital, Takano could emphasize with him, and made a mental note to seek him out later on. Aside from the practical benefits of having a steady training partner that he could actually fight evenly with, Takano knew what it was like to desperately need a friendly face.

Takano turned to face his foe, slightly inclining his head. “Likewise. My name is Takano, good to meet you Blitz.” The Uzumaki said in his gruff voice, allowing himself a small smile for his fellow shinobi. His foot slid forward and his arms came up, awaiting the referee's call.

“Begin!”

As soon as the syllable left the refree’s lips, Takano’s smile vanished as he kicked off the ground, sending himself flying forward in a burst of chakra, quickly closing the distance between them assuming his foe did not attempt to retreat. Utilizing the burst of momentum, the taller shinobi would fire several carefully aimed punches at Blitz’s head and shoulders, attempting to exploit his height and reach advantage to their fullest. With the variety of abilities in the Shinobi world, it didn’t pay to rush in recklessly, and Takano was perfectly content to stay at the very edge of Blitz’s effective range.

Spoiler:

Indeed this male seemed to be in his own league regardless of his appearance it seemed he possessed abilities unlike the latter his speed increased that was certain but it was no substitute to the real thing. Quickly using the heel of his foot Burittsu rotated his body off to the right away from the path of the male it was a quick skill to have under your belt for the time of need but his training paid off so far for him to make this far in his life. It was a brief opening and since Burittsu consisted of no special skills he could only react the best way he knew how when it came to a fight. His natural speed would pay off as he needed no need to waste chakra taking a quick breath his body responded charging forward in a counter attack. His tenacity seemed to flare with the roar of the crowd. That sound drowned out his own thoughts for a moment as he listened to the excitement of the people. Everything seemed to be moving fast for them but through the eyes of Burittsu it was all slow at least the male in front of him was moving at a reasonable pace but was that due to his earlier technique. Indeed he was a new source of information that could benefit the male in becoming stronger. His mind wanted to see more from him so he would attempt to try his best even if this counter ended up costing him. Charging towards the man in great fury with both fists clenched, it was a given that the man was hungry for what was to come.


“...”

Closing the distance between himself and the tomato haired kid, it almost made him laugh at the sight of two shinobi with blue and red hair going at it in front of a bunch of shinobi. The idea of this being in the heart of the village he looked up too entertained his thoughts. With a furious left swing aiming towards the sternum of the boy he aimed to take out his lungs and finish off the boy in one quick succession. Regardless if the blow landed or not Burittsu would throw out his right hook if the left landed a direct hit the right would follow up and aim for the jaw of the shinobi. If the left didn’t connect Burittsu would continue to aim for the males jaw in hopes he would be able to connect or even push his opponent into a corner. He didn’t enter a fight much without a weapon so this was a way for him to get out of shell with no one to teach him he only has confidence in himself and what he tries for.

“...”

His foe was certainly light on his feet, there was no denying that.

As Takano let loose a carefully aimed barrage of punches, the other man slipped and ducked around them, showing off incredible reaction speed and flexibility even in such a short exchange. Even with the aid of the Quick Step technique, Blitz’s raw ability to move was still superior by a significant margin, telling the Uzumaki that he would need something a little cleverer than a simple physical barrage to take the victory. His eyes were calculating as he stared at Blitz, slowly picking apart his comrade’s fighting style as the warrior approaches for another exchange, searching for any opening that he could exploit.

"Your speed is most impressive. My compliments." The Uzumaki would comment simply, not really one for much in-fight banter. However, there was the off chance that a small conversation could off-balance his foe's speed advantage, so he figured it was worth trying at least

As Blitz approached, left arm swinging, Takano’s stance would abruptly shift, his right foot stomping forward and his arms coming up in a more boxer-like position. He was just barely able to keep track of the first strike, slipping to the right with a careful twisting of his body, although the following right hook clipped him in the jaw as it roared past. Thankfully, it seemed as though Blitz’s strength was not as superior as his speed, and Takano managed to shake the cobwebs out of his head after a few precious seconds. He couldn’t let Blitz land many more blows like that one, or he’d be out of the match in embarrassing fashion.

Thinking quickly, Takano once again focused his chakra into the sole of his foot, channeling it for the same explosive burst of speed he had used in order to close the distance between the pair seconds earlier, however this time it was not used for the purposes of movement. Takano instead repurposed the momentum granted by the Quick Step to shoot his leg upwards, aiming to nearly take his opponent’s head off with a high kick. Regardless of the attack’s success, the Uzumaki would attempt to seize back the momentum of the fight, transitioning smoothly into a leg sweep which he would attempt to follow up with an axe kick, aiming to drive Blitz hard into the canvas.
Despite his doubts about attaining victory in this match, it was clear that Takano was deadly serious, and would not submit unless his opponent beat him into unconsciousness….

Stuff:

The roar of the spectators seemed to rattle the very head of Burittsu. It was amusing to think this was actually in the heart of such a village and with someone who can keep up to him with such techniques. It annoyed him to his very core as he opponent felt the need to use abilities to catch him off guard but it was indeed a smart play to come at the male with such tactics. Keeping him on his toes he seemed ready for almost anything to come from his enemy with only a tap of his chin he was certain the male didn’t possess any speed such as that to dodge many of his punches. Since he was pushed on defense from the start he quickly exhaled and inhaled keeping his composure with his eyes remaining on the males body watching every aspect of him. He was learning about a different way of combat and this one seemed better at close range with the use of his abilities and natural confidence to come straight for the individual. It was clear he didn’t fear the pressure.

At first it seemed as if the male before him said something but those words were only met with an attempted blow to finish the fight. Being this close was good and bad on one side his opponent didn’t have a choice but to fight back or face the corner on the other hand it made him appear easier to hit. The only thing he had to depend on was his sheer speed. For a moment it seemed the man in front of him was not done yet with his charge once more charging up his own feet. In a moment he moved as fast as his ability granted him, now appearing at a faster pace in the eyes of the Burittsu; it only gave him a few moments to move both his hands together. Stacking both of them in a quick succession to stop and slow down the rapid swing of his leg on impact the foot pushed both his hands upwards but came to a conclusion rather quickly then he expected. The speed didn’t grant him a great deal of strength but the way the body of the male began to move it seemed he had a bit more juice in the tank.

Incredible from the thought of such a skill being able to replenish his body and vigor it almost annoyed him moving at his speed meant nothing if he was going to play around it was best for him to finish this fight quickly. Being close enough as he watched the boy attempt to take him down by destroying his foundation underneath his body but it all made sense he was a tower that needed to collapse. Burittsu would purposely take a step to the opposite side of his opponent giving him some distance between himself and his opponent he was indeed thinking but none of it mattered in a real fight for life death once more catching his breath it seemed best to watch and learn. Taking another deep breath as he allowed the air to cycle inside of him and out it was clear he would learn something from this enemy once more.

Takano’s kick snapped forward, his form a perfect textbook execution of the principles of the Brute Fist, propelled forward with the maximum level of speed he could achieve…..only to be easily caught by the clasped hands of his foe. The seal specialist grunted with annoyance, attempting a leg sweep to at least change the tides of the combat, but that too was avoided by his foe’s careful footwork and startling speed. It was clear that conventional Taijustu would not be enough to overcome his peer, especially when all the genin did was duck and dodge around his offensive attacks. Takano simply wasn’t built for a simple contest of strength like this: it was time to get creative.

The Uzumaki straightened from his leg sweep, staring with narrow eyes at Blitz who had backed off a few paces from him. Maintaining the distance between them, Takano would begin to slowly pace a circle around him, his bare feet slapping against the damp canvas of the ring. The sound would begin to echo deeply within Blitz’s ears if he didn’t find some way to avoid it, reverberating louder and louder as the sounds of the crowd would seem to grow muted. Following his path, strange images would begin to rise out of the Uzumaki’s path. Clad in similar attire to Takano himself, the figures would begin to stalk towards the genin, step by ponderous step, while Takano himself stopped, staring his foe dead in the eye.

Of course, from Takano and the rest of the crowd’s perspective, there was no change at all in the arena, only that Takano’s slow movements had suddenly halted. Concealed from the crowd by his tall frame, and hopefully from Blitz’s eyes by the Mist Servants he had conjured, Takano would weave two quick handseals, pulsing the chakra needed to activate the Demonic Illusion: Hell's Viewing genjustu. Then, he would kick off the ground, throwing himself backward into the ropes before launching himself forward with the added momentum, even as the shadowy figures began various attacks on Blitz. Takano would hurtle himself at his foe, hoping to take him out with a solid flying knee to the chest.

Data:

It seemed a means to the end Burittsu held his own out dodging and reacting to various attacks coming from the boy by now it was simple to see that he was indeed thinking an intelligent shinobi will always be the dangerous one at the end. In the future he indeed would be a wonderful shinobi to already have some skills such as those under his arsonal it only made Burittsu come to terms. Indeed this was a non-weapon fight but he needed some form of training to last against enemies with more annoying skill sets for now this was a crash course against jutsu users. He had nothing but hard work under his sleeves for so far and the eyes of the past watching his every move he remained vigilant and aware motionless and still but seeing how this enemy moved he wouldn’t be caught so easily on his own two feet. He trusted himself and his skills alone no matter how meek they seemed he was willing to take this time and earn his win. Now it was time for his enemy to make his own move once more, this time pacing laps around Burittsu to his understanding his opponent was already planning and this was his way to find an opening.

As the shinobi walked it seemed he was already on the move as now multiple figures sharing the similar outfit to their caster came out from underneath the mat of the ring as he completed his lap. These figures were already on the pursuit Burittsu simply gazed over his shoulders without making a fuss or fight it all seemed dangerous but he understood the rules as long as he was able to fight he was not going to back down from such a challenger. All were moving but one indeed they were sluggish but this made it easier for Burittsu to watch and see where the actual shinobi hid. Only one would be doing something out of the ordinary from those who seeked his end. Each figure was slow but the real figure itself would only be so confident to attempt such tricks gazing upon the ground Burittsu added up this was another one of his mere abilities to conquer the fight. Gazing at the feet of those who were walking towards him Burittsu continued to search until the thought of it made sense as the figures were ordered to move towards him it appeared a set of feet remained motionless on the ground.

Quickly in a burst of speed dashing between the foes placed in front of him he aimed for those that seemed still and motionless in mere seconds it seemed Burittsu was on the edge of seat once more. Enjoying another good fight with another different soul of the village, one that seemed to enjoy tricks instead of the labor of hard work but this was only his opinion at least when it came to the physical element of battle. As Burittsu’s eyes finally locked in with those of the enemy it had seemed he attempted to further his win as Burittsu watched his hands attempt to come together it only made sense to stop this man. Indeed he attempted to cheat for this win but that simply meant he was willing to go the extra mile to get this win and continue forward such perseverance only deserved the best praise. Still needing much to learn Burittsu could only do what he was doing from the start of the match now with his opponent in front of him he continued to charge him without a care Burittsu lunged his body at the shinobi using it as a projectile. Pushing his body off the ground with the speed he had as he shot himself head first towards the opponents face aiming to knock him out in a fierce headbutt while throwing his body at him. Risky as it was, his opponent was cheating so it seemed best for him to not hold back. If this attack landed it would indeed send a powerful impact to the head of both boys but strong enough to at least stun the boy. With him missing it would only mean he was able to stop the man from doing any other annoying tricks for the time being regardless the fight would continue an the latter himself would only apply more pressure if it meant the fight would continue.

Takano frowned as Blitz charged right through his Mist Servants, seemingly not giving a care in the world to their potential dangers. Granted, it was not like his foe was exactly wrong in this instance, but the move would have been a dangerously reckless one in real combat. For all the other man knew, the illusions could have shattered his ribs with a kick as he sprinted past instead of sluggishly slashing at him with insubstantial knives. Foolishness.

Nevertheless, the Genjutsu had done its job: buying Takano a precious few seconds that he required to complete the casting of the technique, alongside the second of eye contact that the pair shared. Indeed, Takano barely had time to drop his legs out from underneath him, feeling his opponents headbutt miss him by mere centimers. Rolling to the side, Takano would quickly get to his feet and rapidly retreated into the crowd of his Mist Servants, which began to converge upon his position. Takano’s form would be obscured by the rapidly multiplying amount of Mist Servants, the crowd already a meter in diameter and growing larger. All the Uzumaki had to do now was give his illusion some time to brew and take advantage of the opening once it presented itself.

Data:

For months afterward, Takano would claim with absolute confidence that he had, indeed, beaten Blitz.

After all, his hastily devised plan had gone off practically without a hitch. Already disorientated from the bullrush and massive amount of Mist Servants swarming him, Blitz simply did not have enough time to locate and neutralize Takano before the Hell’s Viewing technique finally completed it’s charge up time. With a scream and lots of cursing, Blitz simply dropped to the mat, unconscious, leaving Takano the technical victor.

However…in his desire to win, Takano had forgotten the fact that this was a Taijutsu spar, and that he was supposed to be subtle with his cheating. So technically, with his quick disqualification, Blitz had also, in a way, beaten the Uzumaki.

They called it a draw.

[EXIT]

Blitz remained motionless on the mat until the necessary workers came around and escorted him out heading towards the nearest hospital for actual help.

[Exit]