The Valley of Jehoshaphat [Plot Thread]

Her focus more specifically on Honiko than anyone else, Nozomi was surprised that she was willing to talk first than actually fight. She was prepared for a fight if it came to it, but she hadn't actually expected Honiko to want to talk. She didn't drop her stance, but she didn't make any aggressive moves as her clone disappeared. She couldn't register the speed though, which made her worried about any prolonged fight against her. She knew people had speed above her, but up until now she hadn't been outclassed ever, even against Makahshi. She'd been able to see his speed as a blur, but she'd been able to track it at least.

The surprise of her fighting ability didn't even compare to the surprise of Honiko's words. She'd offered her a chance to live, and not die. She'd asked her to join her crusade. It didn't register at first what she said. "I what?" she asked in response to the pale woman's reference of her being tied to a relic of the Sage. There was information to gather, for sure, and Honiko had some of those answers.

"She speaks about me. She's above my capabilities while you resist me. If you want to live, run or join her. I can protect us from the rabble around us, but I could only beat her if you released me." He restated his earlier mention.

"I know, you've said that before, but I'm not ready to die." she said, speaking to the 3 Tails, and lowered her stance. "So your goal will have you fighting a lot of strong people then? And whatever it is inside me is something that interests you. He seems to think I'll die if I try and face you, and from what I've gathered, that's a bad idea for the two of our existence. Here's the deal."

She flashed a grin at Honiko, eager to see what sort of strong people she could prepare her to fight. Yomi had been her equal, but never her superior. The Jounin she'd fought hadn't been anything special either. This girl was a specimen of insane power, and someone who could actually deserve her respect and admiration. However, before she could speak, Bayushi approached the two of them, and announced his loyalty to her, offering to join Honiko.

A flash of annoyance actually boiled up as this person came up. Who the fuck was he? Honiko had been speaking to her, not to him. She turned her head to face him, her eyes narrowing. "And what about him?" she muttered under her breath to herself, temporarily ignoring Honiko.

"I doubt you'd need my help, nor would I give it. Your survival doesn't hinge on a fight with him." was all the response she received. It wasn't much, but she figured she didn't need to give him any of her attention. "Alright. I'll take your offer, you seem to be the strongest person I've met yet, you're making a mockery of these people, and I assume you can help me understand what's inside me. Besides, Kiri's not done a damn thing for me. I ask one thing though. Don't kill the girl in the water. She's not a mediocre Jounin, she's an exceptional Chuunin, my friend, and my rival. She's done more to teach me than my sensei ever had. If someone's going to end her someday, I'd like it to be me."

Her gaze shifted over to Yomi as she spoke, hoping she might offer to join in as well. She didn't really want to not be on her side, and if her friend would join Honiko, they could both make some rather extreme gains. Then it moved to Kotsubo, and her eyebrows once again furrowed. He would be mad that she was betraying Kiri, but what did she care? Kiri hadn't done anything for her. The Mizukage Nikuyo was a blood thirsty monster who didn't care about anyone. Her sensei Makahshi was an abusive prick, annoying as hell, and not particularly all that strong. Where she was now would have been enough to wipe him out for all his showings. Kotsubo had been a bit of a hope for some difference, but he'd gone out like a bitch to the Jounin of Kumo, that she'd been able to hold her own against.

At least Honiko offered her something, seemed to recognize she was special and not just some trash to be dealt with. Why would she choose any differently? Only Yomi had given her any reason to hesitate, but if she joined up too, then there were really no regrets to be had. "Can I have some fun though? I came to fight, and I'd be disappointed walking away without something to get my blood flowing."

The tall, beautiful, rich scout would follow Simon as both of them managed to identify the clone picking up their trace. It was no major surprise. They made little effort to conceal movement. Seeing what the woman was capable of Natsuru did not doubt the woman's natural perception was sharp enough to pick up their whereabouts. Still, they managed to get close enough to be considered in with the conflict. Natsuru activated her chakra sensory drawing the secrets that was harnessed inside each and every one of them. Her allies immediately in her squad, those from the foreign villages, and the enemy before her. It was...a lot to take in. Something Natsuru wished to have the opportunity to take notes about. Although her squad were to cooperate with the foreign villages did not rule the fact out that one of them, either an individual or nation, may turn against them. Their information was as valuable as ever. Chakra natures, prowess, and signature could be vital. Natsuru knew she would not be able to remember them all given the nature of the situation. If she had a chance to take notes, or was in a less stressful scenario she would have better odds of remembering every detail about those she encountered. However, that was in a perfect world. She worked on identifying the pale woman's nature.

She emitted the largest force out of all of them, something Natsuru would have trouble forgetting as it hit her like a pile of bricks. So much energy...it's exciting... Natsuru had used her sensory technique on multiple Shinobi in her village already including Nariko, the temporary Raikage of the village. The pale woman easily doubled her already powerful reservoir. It made her own, and some of the other's in the vicinity feel insignificant. No wonder she was giving them a hard time. She thought focusing back on her objective. The energy was radiant and hot. She was certainly affiliated with Fire, which was to no surprise after her display earlier. The woman's passion alone would thaw the coldest winter.

But the unthinkable occurred. The pale woman wanted others to join her, oddly enough after razing an entire town. She spoke directly to some short, freckle blonde. She seemed insignificant and shared the same body with Shimiko, however Natsuru saw hope in Shimiko. This woman was clearly inferior. Her village had to be Kirigakure or Konoha. A quick read on her nature followed suit as a reaction. Then a new challenger approach. A dark skinned male who served as a Genin of Kumogakure, or at least did. Whoever he was he immediately sealed his fate and renounced his ties with his village. "Stupid haakgwai." She hissed venomously drawing a broadhead from her quiver and notching her bow with structured finesse. The yew creaked elegantly as the statuesque reeled the arrow in full draw with the fletchings against the side of her face. She would release the arrow as it zipped from the bow and cleared the sixty gap in what could be perceived as a second. The broadhead was targeted with such precision to enter the back of the traitor's skull.

Betrayal ruined trust. When the man resigned his status as a Kumogakure Shinobi he immediately became an enemy of Natsuru, one she knew she must destroy. She did not expect him to see the attack coming given her location and being quite sure he was unaware of her presence. She would keep her eyes on the three enemies, as well as worked to learn more about their signatures and chakra natures. Drawing another arrow she positioned it with her bow ready to fire another after analyzing the success of her first.

Nat Stuff:

Yagami had been attempting to follow the lead of the more experienced Shinobi in the group. The situation had devolved from a ‘simple’ scouting assignment to a possible confrontation with someone beyond what he’d seen so far in his short career. He’d been trying to gauge the vibrations in the ground for some clue as to what they were up against when the woman spoke. He found it strange enough that she actually sought allies after destroying the homes of so many. On top of that, it looked like someone had actually taken her up on that offer.

A strained creaking sound drew his attention to Natsuru, who had nocked an arrow onto her bow. Before he could object she let it loose, the arrow traveling a good distance before gravity took hold of it and brought its path into a downward arc the person who’d spoken with the dangerous woman on the field. He clenched his fists and fought to steady his breath. Now that their position had all but been given away, he would have to be ready for a fight. Whether they survived or not wasn’t clear in the slightest.

Someone she had not spoken directly to had stepped up to the plate so to speak. Honiko looked over to Bayushi as he walked forward to join her and Nozomi. He said that he would join them and as she scanned him she saw everything that her clone did. The boy feared her and he was concerned for his own life as he well should be. But Honiko sensed more than that, she sensed hunger for power. A desire to be more than just a faceless Janissary. More than just a body to be thrown into the never-ending meatgrinder that was the shinobi life. She could see that he was weak, far weaker than the girl she was deadset on recruiting. But in a way that made him all the more valuable. It was not only possible but rather likely that he would do anything for power. Things that Nozomi was apparently unwilling or unable to do. Honiko did not even spare him more than a few precious seconds worth of a glance (long enough to sum up his motivations and whether or not he was worthy of joining her). Without so much as a second look she said: "Very well. I'll test you on my own time. For now, your primary concern is ensuring that your village doesn't kill you for your betrayal."

Oddly enough the clone had passed by their group on its initial analysis said nothing to Ryuko.

"You won't touch them."

The clone merely tilted its head and made a note of the girl's Vestal Priestess markings. It was an interesting development and one that she would take into account. When the clone returned to its master's side it would lean close and whisper the information in Honiko's ear. This would confirm what the Dragon Sage could see plainly with her enhanced vision. Honiko nodded as the two more or less came to the same exact conclusion. The clone made a handsign and three more clones materialized right next to it. This brought the number of Sages to five. They clustered near one another but all except the original appeared to be ready to take off at a moment's notice as their eyes scanned every corner of the battlefield. The original Honiko appeared relaxed and not at all concerned with the chatter from irrelevant beings.

Of course shortly following the lad's renunciation of his village one of the Kumo shinobi sprung into action. Undeterred by her presence on the battlefield and the unspoken truce in effect, Natsuru notched an arrow in her bow. To both the clone and Honiko the move was in slow motion. The act of drawing emitted a distinct sound as did the firing of the weapon. Honiko's clone was already moving to intercept the projectile before it was even released. The clone superimposed itself between Bayushi and the projectile. It grabbed the arrow before it could hit Bayushi with the enhanced speed and reflexes afforded to it by Sage Mode. If he'd allow it the clone's snake tail coiled around the boy's waist and flung him backwards closer to Honiko and Nozomi. He'd be wise not to resist the maneuver as anything that put him closer to the Dragon Sage would bring him further from death at the hands of his former comrades. The real Honiko gave him an annoyed look before turning back to Nozomi.

The object of her attention began to speak to herself. More specifically she was talking to the demon within her. Honiko didn't give any expression of amusement as she would have earlier. Any small feelings of enjoyment had more or less evaporated in the heat of combat. Nozomi remarked that her Bijuu had informed her that she would die if she faced off against Honiko.

"He is wise beyond your comprehension" she offered in response.

Nozomi followed with acceptance of Honiko's offer with a small caveat. The blonde lusted for power like Bayushi although with a slight bent towards taming and understanding the power within her as opposed to acquiring it. She also mentioned aloud what Honiko suspected to be true for Bayushi. The hidden villages were neglecting those they deemed unworthy of attention either as a result of a lack of connection to noble and prestigious clans or perhaps out fear of the unknown. Bayushi potentially belonging to the former and Nozomi the latter. What she had to say about Honiko was not interpreted as flattery but as a statement of fact. She was leagues beyond the shinobi present yet there was a quality to them that unnerved her and made her wonder if they did pose some small threat to her agenda. Worse yet, arguably the biggest threat (the only person to have wounded her in a significant manner) during the battle had yet to reach her full potential. Nozomi mentioned that Yomi was not a Jounin but a Chuunin. Honiko's neutral expression turned to anger and disdain as Nozomi described her relationship with the woman. It was bad enough that she had misjudged Yomi's power but it appeared she had also overestimated Yomi's rank as well. If Yomi was this strong as a Chuunin perhaps she had a far higher ceiling than Honiko had initially projected. The sting of her incorrect analysis enraged her and the soft glow of blue and white that surrounded her flared for an instant as the natural energy responded to her strong emotions.

It was questionable whether the others could ever stop her even at their maximum. Out of all of them Yomi had the greatest chance if today's battle was any indication. If Yomi did not opt to join her (which did not seem to be the case given the fact that she remained inside her sphere) then it was dangerous to leave the woman alive. Yet Nozomi had a keen interest in preserving the Chuunin's life and she asked that she be spared if only to give her the opportunity to end her when the time came. This was troublesome. Yomi's existence was an affront to Honiko. The Kiri-Nin had made a mockery of her prophetic warnings and wounded her in front of the vermin. Honiko had made a divine promise to her during their last physical engagement. Yomi's life belonged to her and she would not release it because of the protestations of a unlearned jinchurriki.

It was possible that Yomi would want to join her friend and rival. Honiko's read on her was that she was as crass and disrespectful as the blonde in front of her. Kirigakure had not done much to instill fear, respect, and discipline into their ninja. They had treated the situation with a cavalier attitude that was totally unlike that of the well ordered Kumo and Konoha troops. Her suspicions were confirmed by Nozomi's words and the idea of the two training alongside each other sickened her. Nozomi's burden had put her in a unique position. Unlike Bayushi who could be seduced and indoctrinated by the offer of power and survival, Nozomi would need significant spiritual nourishment. It was not enough that she fight for Honiko's cause on the basis of what the Sage could do for her. In time, Honiko would have to see to it that she believed in their celestial mission with a zealotry equal to her own.  If the Bijuu within were truly to be tamed and put towards holy use then her young charge had to be so unflinching and devout in her faith that concepts like "power" and "survival" would be meaningless to her.

None of this was possible if the two remained together.

Honiko remained silent barely registering Nozomi's final question. The Sage looked towards Yomi and communicated complete hostility through the swirling black creases around her eyes and the flare of energy around her. Honiko's body language gave off a vibe of total menace and murderous intent as she ignored the blonde for a moment and focused on the olive skinned female in the swirling sphere of water. Out of all the people who had heard her offer, there was one person that she was completely unwilling to accept.

"The girl in the water. What is her name?"

Assuming Nozomi would oblige her of the woman's name, Honiko would toss it around in her head for a moment. Yomi....Hm... She committed it to memory. The Kiri ninja was insubordinate and disrespectful yet skilled and talented in a way few were. If Nozomi remained alongside her then she would poison the young girl's mind. She would keep her tethered to finite concepts like "winning battles", "having fun", and "living life for one's own sake". Worse yet, Yomi seemed like the type to second-guess and challenge authority which meant that Honiko would either have to kill her (which would inevitably alienate Nozomi) or tolerate her (which would cause others to lose respect and more importantly fear). It was an untenable situation and given the value of her prize she was not willing to compromise it by accepting Yomi into her ranks. Yet for all the logic and reason behind her decision, there was a selfish component to it. She did not like Yomi and every moment the woman drew breath felt like an unanswered insult to her capabilities as a Sage. Yomi had earned her grudging respect but as far as she was concerned she'd rather kill her than recruit her. It was at that moment that she fully registered Nozomi's question and in that same instant a plan had formed in her mind. She turned towards Nozomi.

"You do not set the terms here little one" she said in a tone meant to demean. "Her life is mine. But I admire your initiative and desire for blood. I will trade her's for..." Honiko turned now standing besides Nozomi in a shoulder to shoulder fashion. A hand would slip around the girl's shoulder before gripping her with gentle possession. The crinkle and raw power of natural energy could be felt presumably not just by the host but by the beast that lay within.  "the Vestal Priestess's life....the girl with the markings there..." she pointed with her free hand identifying Ryuko. "Bring me her head and I will leave Yomi's life in your hands. Kill her, spare her, its naught to me" It wasn't. She hoped that one day she would be able to re-acquire the right to slaughter Yomi but for now giving the blonde girl a modicum of control was important. "Just know that if Yomi continues to oppose us...if she continues to oppose you. I expect you to do what is necessary." The responsibility would rest on Nozomi's shoulders. It was a sign of trust and respect but she wasn't sure if the unlearned genin would recognize it.

This would kill two birds with one stone. Nozomi would get the opportunity to fight Ryuko and her group and when she was inevitably pushed to the brink of death by her own stupidity and hubris the Three Tails would emerge and give Honiko a first row seat to its power along with an assessment of Nozomi's ability to control the beast or lack thereof. This also gave Nozomi the opportunity to earn Yomi's right to live and would also serve as her new ward's first spiritual lesson. It was a lesson on balance. Every soul had its worth to someone be they man, Sage, or God. That worth could be converted into value and exchanged at a rate determined by the relevant parties. The key was to balance both sides of the exchange so as to maximize value and utility on both sides.

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

Honiko snapped her fingers and the other clones sprang into action. There were four clones in total and each of them fanned out in different directions. They took up positions on the far side of each other using their superior speed to reach their respective locations in a heartbeat. When they had arrived at their target locations, they had formed a rectangle which encompassed Honiko, Nozomi, Bayushi on one end and Ryuko, Morikawa, Yagami, Sakata, and Natsuru on the other. The rectangle was roughly 80 meters long and 30 meters wide. As soon as they reached their locations, each clone would form the Snake seal and then clap channeling a portion of their own chakra and natural energy to create the Four Violet Flames Formation. The large barrier would span the dimensions of the aforementioned rectangle essentially aiming to entrap certain persons within the dome. The barrier would have a white and purple tint to it unlike its original darker version denoting the presence of Honiko's signature white hot natural energy. Honiko would aim to push Nozomi forward into the dome just before the portion of wall on their side had erected. The real Honiko would thus be outside the dome along with Bayushi who she'd ensure was on the outside with her via attempting to grab his waist with her own snake tail and dragging him from the erection of the dome before releasing him.

The end result would be Nozomi trapped in a fighting space with the entirety of the Kumo contingent sans the traitor formerly known as Bayushi.




The clones held their position and kept the barrier active whilst Honiko turned towards Gin, Kanna, Kotsubo, and Yomi. The woman in the water dome was off the board for the time being. So her attention was mainly focused on the three survivors. She would say nothing as the clouds of natural energy swirled around her. The woman walked to re-position herself so that they were directly in front of her and could see her without any obstructions. The snake obi around her waist continued to draw natural energy and imbue her with it. She was indeed running low on chakra but she judged that Balerion would be done with his task soon. The group had proven competent but they had yet to be pushed to their absolute limits. If Honiko wanted to force Nozomi to her breaking point then perhaps it was only fair that she push herself just as hard. The woman stared intently at the group without saying a word. She was waiting to see if any of them had any second thoughts about their refusal to join her. She had not extended the invitation to them directly but if they had a brain they'd realize that after accepting Bayushi, Honiko's recruitment was not isolated to the blonde girl. Nevertheless if they wanted to join her they'd need to be tested all the same. Bayushi had nothing to rely on but a lust for power, this group was far stronger. This made them a bit harder to mold into her own image. If she was trading devotion for skills then she would ensure they were in fact skilled. And those that had not opted to join her? Well then their survival would hinge on how well they carried themselves in the second phase of this conflict. The rabble would die but those who had shown grit would be permitted to leave with their lives if only to spread word of what she was capable of.

Honiko's tail whipped back and forth as it hissed in anticipation. The ethereal and invisible snakes surrounding her mimicking the motion as her mind transitioned back into battle mode. She summoned two tomahawks, one in each hand before taking a few steps forward. This transitioned into a brisk walk, then jog, and then finally a run. The tomahawks were tossed towards Kotsubo and Gin and she formed a single seal before disappearing in a flicker-like movement. She zipped forward in a straight line using the Body Flicker Technique to enhance her speed to insane levels. As she moved forward faster than the tomahawks she had thrown, she grabbed both of them again before they could even hit their targets. When she entered close quarters with them, she re-activated Strong Fist performing a powerful low sweep kick on Kotsubo hoping to knock the sharkman off his feet completely. If successful, it would be followed with a tomahawk being buried in his right heel with the intention of severing the tendons making standing impossible. The speed and grace of the first attack would gather so much momentum that Honiko would fully follow through and contort her body while remaining low. She balanced on the hand now free of the tomahawk and spun her self around on it using her snake-tail for balance and to create further momentum akin to a breakdancer. Honiko picked up further speed as she rotated in a blur like motion simultaneously extending each of her invisible snakes to attack. One would aim for Gin's throat hoping to collapse his trachea and render him inert from pain and suffocation, another would go for Kotsubo's head aiming to knock him unconscious completely, the final snake would try to slam into the side of Kanna's head concussing her but leaving her somewhat awake for what Honiko had planned next. After completing the breakdance-spin attack, Honiko would rise to bring the final tomahawk upwards with a savage strength as she reached out to split Kanna's chest open. Normally a lethal wound but here it was delivered with such precision it would merely incapacitate as opposed to outright kill. Assuming the first volley had landed, Honiko turned to grab the hopefully by now unconscious Kotsubo by the neck and arm. The tomahawk was removed from his leg and then buried into his lower spine to ensure paralysis. She then turned, twisted, and spun in a circle carrying his body along with her and charging up momentum with each rotation much like a discus thrower would. The only difference being the projectile was the Shark Jounin's body rather than some cheesy item found in Greco-Roman field sport. The movement was so graceful and quick that most would perceive it a mere blur of activity before the man was finally launched towards his target: Yomi.

Kotsubo would begin hurtling towards her water barrier at high speeds. His body posed no threat to the Kiri Chuunin and if she was smart she'd recognize that her barrier was more than sufficient to protect her from the force of Kotsubo's mass. The real issue was the following: the water was voluminous and extremely dense meaning that if Kotsubo hit the barrier which was likely to be the case, he'd shatter his already weakened spine and skull. The impact would probably not kill him in of itself but it would mean death or potentially lifelong paralysis if he was not given medical treatment soon afterward.

Honiko was curious.

Yomi was from the same village as Kotsubo. In fact, they were part of the same unit that was sent here to investigate. Yomi came off as the type to not particularly care for her comrades but of course this could just be Honiko's negative perception of her. Honiko went through all of this trouble to see whether or not Yomi would release the water barrier (potentially giving up a critical defense and leaving her vulnerable to attack) in order to save Kotsubo. Of course, Kotsubo might still collide with her but that was likely to hurt her far more than the shark man and in that case the resulting injury was not likely to be serious or lethal for either ninja. Yet if she did not think highly of him, she'd keep the water sphere in tact and let him smash against its surface potentially ending his shinobi career right then and there. Honiko looked forward to the possibility of seeing either Kotsubo get ragdolled against the sphere like an impudent insect hitting glass or Yomi demonstrating weakness and compassion while allowing herself to get bodied by the Hoshigaki.

Regardless of the result, Honiko would jump back away from the group after her sudden assault on them. The woman would skid back 5 or so meters then survey the potential damage to Gin and Kanna. The villages had fought well but she doubted it would be enough in the end.

Stats:

Strength: C -> B+ (Perfect Snake Sage Mode + Strong Fist)
Constitution: C -> B  (Perfect Snake Mode)
Stamina: S
Speed: B -> A (Perfect Snake Sage Mode) -> S (Body Flicker)
Coordination: B -> A++ (Perfect Snake Mode + Strong Fist) -> S+ (Leaf Gale)
Intelligence: B
Perception: A-> S (Perfect Snake Sage Mode)

Honiko Used:
Strong Fist
Leaf Gale
Body Flicker

Clones Used:
Four Violet Flames Formation

Clone Stats:
Same

Bayushi had expected the reactions he got from everyone. Shock, anger, fury. Almost more killing intent directed at him then it was with Honiko. He walked up to her and she peered at him with her menacing eyes. She seemed supernatural in whatever form she had taken, mesmerizing if you hadn't seen something like it before. However adulation of Honiko would be cut short as one of the ninja did miss a beat. They drew an arrow and shot it towards him without a seconds thought.  The Honiko clone moved so fast it was all a blur. The arrow came so close to Bayushi but it was caught by clone, a tail wrapped around him at the same time.

He was picked up and thrown towards the real Honiko. He went crashing to the ground, rolling to a stop he caught himself. And looked back. The clone had saved him in a nick of time. Guess his mortal enemies had been made quickly. He looked to the direction the arrow was shot from but could barely make anything out. The real Honiko gave him an annoyed look and turned back to Nozomi. He wisely said nothing and awaited the rest of battle unfold.

It seemed that Honiko had something planned that would throw the Kumo ninja off their feet. After alerting Nozomi to bring back the arm of the one who tried to shoot Bayu. Her clones disappeared moving at speeds to fast for Bayushi to catch. But he was to bare witness to the combined efforts of all the clones. They activated a jutsu he had never seen, a large barrier jutsu. The barrier separated their attackers from them while Bayushi was safely with Honiko.

Luckily he would also witness the raw power Honiko possessed as she lay a devastating attack on the rest of them. He braced himself even though he was in range of Honiko. No telling what could happen next after the attack. Did they survive?

The sharkman had nearly lost it when Nozomi had accepted the pale woman's invite into joining her, but Kotsubo held his head in an attempt to hold back the bloodlust urge that ran deep in his Hoshigaki blood, knowing that if he were to go berserk here and go crazy against the only allies he has currently, it would be rather chaotic. "No... control yourself Kotsubo, this isn't the time or place." after a few seconds of concentrated breathing, Kotsubo has supposedly gone back into a calm, thinking state as he looked over at Honiko and Nozomi, chatting with each other like they're best buddies already, clicking his tongue. "I can't eliminate Nozomi while she's with that woman, I'll have to think of something..." he's trying to think up of a plan currently to somehow single out Nozomi from the pale-skinned fighter, but the ideas were far and few in-between, none of them solid.

Kotsubo felt compelled at first to somehow stop the Honiko clones that were suddenly made, but seeing as they made their way towards the general direction of the Kumo ninja, had stood his ground. "It's time they got involved instead of standing around willy-nilly." he commented, he found it a bit odd that the Kumo ninja were just standing around and watching their territory get destroyed by foreigners. It didn't exactly leave the best impression but he'll see how they'll perform against Nozomi, he certainly wouldn't complain if they killed Nozomi for him. That's just one less headache to deal with on this battlefield.

Seeing that Gin had mentioned about being proficient in using Water Release earlier, and from what they've seen, the pale woman is rather extraordinary in using Fire Release. If they were to combine their proficiency together, they might have a chance of at least holding back Honiko, if not somehow inflicting damage upon her. As soon as Honiko turned her gaze towards the three, Kotsubo, Kanna and Gin, Kotsubo started to perform a series of handseals with one hand.

As soon as Honiko started to make her movement towards the trio and throw the tomahawks at both Gin and Kotsubo, the shark man suddenly spits out an unnatural amount of water that starts to quickly form an uprising stream of water in a 360 degree circle around Gin and Kotsubo, with the tremendous might being more than enough to make the colliding tomahawks launch straight up into the higher heights of the water wall and forcing Honiko to either collide herself against the water wall or disperse away from the axes that she had thrown.

The Stuff:

She was looking rather helplessly at Nozomi's interaction with the strange zealot, annoyed at the fact that she could hear but only a fraction of what was being said. Howevern she did hear enough, enough to fill in the gaps of her knowledge on the proceedings by simply taking a gander at the two people's body language and their expressions.One thing was certain though: Nozomi had decided to join up with this powerful force and just as well had apparently hidden away quite a lot of secrets from Yomi, who thought she had perhaps finally found someone akin to being a kindred spirit in the rigid workings of Kirigakure. yet she had been betrayed, her trust thrown aside, her friendship and rivalry exchanged for vague promises of power.

Yomi was veritably annoyed, shocked, pissed and humiliated by this act coming from what she could no longer see as a friend or comrade, but simply as a mere shadow of her past and as that very shadow of her past was put into a barrier by Honiko's clones to deal with the Kumo bastards that had simply watched the whole affair and done nothing, the chuunin simply thought to herself that it might've been better if the Kumo bastards did not kill Nozomi, for it had been decided, she was going to have to run from this overwhelming force, but she'd do everything in her capabilities to get more powerful on her own, vowing that if Nozomi saw their bond as something that fragile, there was no need to cry or feel frustrated, because it meant the opposite was true as well. If she was but a mere shell to cast off, than so was Nozomi and when cast off, there would no longer be any attachments to hold her back either.

With her own wounds healed to the best of her ability and the best she could do within the limited time, Yomi kept one hand against the barrier, while her other waded through the water in a calm fashion, her thoughts spinning through her head to figure out her next move. She knew victory was impossible now that her former friend had gone traitorbut leaving without leaving a mark and showing both the treacherous filth which had chosen that annoyingly zealous bitch over the rivalry Yomi thought they had and the zealous bitch herself that they had made a mistake by not killing the chuunin outright.




Noticing how Honiko went through the trouble of dealing with those who had dared to stand against her on her own, at least showed that despite her religious zealotry, she was still at some point a decent warrior at heart. Suddenly withdrawing the hand which had supported her Water prison, forcing it to splash down into a large pool of water at her feet, the kirigakure chuunin removed the rebreather, dropping it onto her collarbones, clenched her fists and breathed in deeply, at which point her seemingly depleted chakra suddenly spiked upwards again, even though the side effects of what she did showed themselves in the forms of slight cracks in her skin out of which the chakra poured, therewas no doubt that her uncaring, cold and unfeeling expression showed just how truly angered she was with this situation and the lack of control she had on it.

"I'll admit that you're powerful and I'll admit that you've shown me just how big the gap between you and myself is," Slamming her hands together, the Chuunin scowled and showed her teeth in a wicked grin. "But you have taken away the only thing holding me back...I will thank you for that."

Forming the snake sign twice, the chuunin's belly first seemed to bloat, followed by her cheeks, at which point she suddenly spewed out a massive amount of water towards Honiko, content with the idea of using every last ounce of her remaining lifeforce and chakra to show this bitch just what she had managed to do. As the last droplets of water got spewed out of her mouth, Yomi staggered a bit, before deciding to use one last trick to try and get the hell out of that place. forming a half tiger seal and running straight to the other side from which she'd been spouting the water, intending to maximize the distance as much as she could in as little time as she had.

notes:

Gin was rather surprised to see such a successful outcome of those defecting to Honiko. He passed a glance at Kotsubo who appeared to be losing his cool over the girl's decision. Gin hummed a short chuckled to himself placing a hand on the shark man's shoulder. "Easy now..." He offered as a form of comfort being an outside voice to his apparent rage boiling up inside. "You cannot argue that children are fickle and entitled. She'll come to realize her mistake, eventually..." The Kumo and Kiri Genin were one of the same. They wished and fantasized about possessing great power, though did not want to work for it through an honest day of work. It was an immature mind set he himself had at one point in his youth, willing to do anything for strength. From the honk's position departed several clones, each of them forming a spaced formation in the shape of a rectangle. "She's dead, anyways." He gave as his last piece of advice as a purple barrier erected around the blonde Kirigakure kunoichi, and the Kumogakure contingent. The girl was young and completely outnumbered. If the Kumogakure Shinobi were worth an ounce of salt they would have no trouble taking on the girl alone.

Gin was unsure of Honiko's motive at this point. Did she truly intend on recruiting those Genin? Or did she plan to pit her foes against each other collectively weakening the crowd making combat easier for herself? It was risky business to submit to a stranger who was your enemy at a moment's call. This is what separated him from the Genin. Falling for a few honeyed words was ignorant and impulsive. They lacked self-control, integrity, and above all else, wisdom. One that came from knowing when to use your brain. Nozomi was trapped in an arena, and Bayushi was along side Honiko, who was alive by the graces of her to begin with. What a sad bunch. It wasn't until a moment ago when Gin noticed a set of black tendrils encroaching on his side. He glanced over his shoulder frantically, a bit relieved the source was from his remaining teammate, though still grossed out. "What the Hell?" He exclaimed, though seeing the threads begin to stitch his wound from earlier.

The wound was not bleeding profusely, which begged to question why she was stitching it up in the first place, though possible straining in the area could prove to tear the wound further. It was probably for the better. He recalled Kanna being an experienced medic, so he left her to do her thing. The stitches revived a bit of stinging and soreness from the wound, though a comforting tightness ensured the injury was secure. He would be in relatively good condition. "Thanks." Gin remarked, winding his shoulder getting comfortable with the new arrangement. Unfortunately their moment of peace would come to an end. The pale woman prepared to make her assault after trapping Nozomi. Her gradual acceleration gave Gin and the others time to figure out what was going on. Stroking a seal written beneath his right arm guard conjured a small cloud of smoke, which quickly dispersed, revealing a giant shuriken. His hand held it from the ring, the shuriken being larger than his torso. Kotsubo erected his water assault providing a solid barrier of water around them. The force of the water seemed to make it out to be a powerful technique.

Pressing the button on his one his scroll holsters it unleashed a hatch dropping a small blue scroll in which he cradled in his palm as it left the pocket. Gin would accelerate into the air directly above him rotating the shuriken to gather momentum while simultaneously unlatching the scroll to reveal its contents. Peaking just over the water wall he would spot Honiko if she were still present. In that scenario Gin would hurl the large shuriken as it raced towards the pale woman brief second. Giant shuriken were nearly unstoppable unless one possessed incredible strength and were ballsy enough to risk losing an arm or being impaled. It worked as a form of heavy artillery in a sense. Gin would gauge the woman's reaction with her barrage of attacks.

Stats:

When Honiko saw the seals that Kotsubo was making she did not move an inch. The man was preparing a technique for her which caused her to snarl at his pathetic impudence. The remaining shinobi were aggravating if not admirable in their constant resistance.They refused to go into that gentle good night and while it was annoying it showed that (they) would have their work cut off for them if they were to succeed. The brush with death and the loss of their jinchurikki did not cause them to surrender or give up hope in a fit of demoralization. Honiko chose to remain where she was for the time being, foregoing her planned attack altogether and thereby likely rendering inapplicable her opponent's responses. She turned to face Yomi when she heard the sound of the Water Dome collapsing. Yomi stepped out of the prison apparently healed from the damage inflicted earlier. So the girl understands the value of Ijutsu as well? Good. Honiko had decided that Nozomi was not the only one who saw the value in keeping Yomi alive. Honiko saw elements of herself in the woman and she wondered that if given the opportunity to blossom if her power could rival her own. There was truly only one way to find out.

Yomi acknowledged that Honiko was stronger and that she had taken away the only thing that was holding her back. Honiko took this to refer to the act of turning Nozomi against Kirigakure. Honiko found this tidbit to be a misunderstanding. Nozomi was likely to leave Kiri even without her intervention although all Honiko had done was set her on a course that would lead her to salvation rather than capture by enemy shinobi. Nevertheless it would be useful to have a woman out in the world that knew what Honiko was capable of and would be working to destroy her. It would make her a better warrior in the process and if she had the opportunity to kill Yomi in front of Nozomi it would only serve to solidify the spiritual lessons she'd be teaching her.

Honiko was content to let Yomi escape having already decided her fate while she spoke. If Nozomi had won her life she would likely let the woman go anyways and if Nozomi failed to do that Honiko was confident she could track down and annihilate the Kiri Nin at a time more convenient to her. Then she felt a pinprick sensation that crept up her spine. She noticed the tells of an impending attack. The signs were gleamed from the many battles she had participated in and this combined with her impeccable perception allowed her to react to Yomi's attack well in advance. A single seal was formed and she darted horizontally using the Body Flicker Technique just before the massive Suiton attack escaped Yomi's lips. Honiko's extreme speed and her forewarning allowed her to clear the range of the technique without being harmed. From there she made a series of sharp turns moving in completely angular straight lines. The movement was complex but logical as she expended chakra to maintain Body Flicker keeping her hand formed in the appropriate seal to sustain the pace she moved at. Yomi for her part would be tired and likely exhausted by yet another costly expenditure of chakra. Honiko was also nearing her limit, an very rare occurrence nowadays. Yet she had more than enough in the tank to teach the Kiri Chuunin a lesson.

Honiko would re-appear in front of Yomi who had increased her own momentum to flee from the battlefield. Using expert timing, body control, and tracking Honiko would run in front of her and extend an arm out. Her re-positioning calculated to occur mere seconds before the collision. Honiko would attempt to grab Yomi by the throat essentially having her run into her open hand. Once caught, Honiko would lift Yomi off her feet and squeeze choking her with enough force to turn her eyes red. At the moment of contact, several snakes erupted from her limb and would bite Yomi's neck injecting her with a non-lethal yet paralyzing venom.  If Yomi tried anything funny then Honiko would simply snap the woman's neck unwilling to tolerate further shenanigans and pathetic attempts to re-assert control over the situation.  

"That won't be the only thing you thank me for today Yomi" she said in a belated response to the Chuunin's prior words. " Your life is mine until the Jinchūriki proves otherwise but I'm giving you a reprieve from your ultimate fate. Three years. You have three years to close the gap between us or exceed my power if you think you can manage it."

There was no more use in hiding the fact that her new student was holding a Tailed Beast. She wanted Yomi to know, she wanted Kotsubo to know, she wanted the world to know that she now had the equivalent of a WMD on her side. She wanted them to understand that even with all the mystical and unstoppable force she had shown here today they had accomplished nothing except learning just how futile resistance was. They had done nothing but led a new source of power straight to her. It was almost poetic. If the Kage knew what their meeting in the Land of Iron had wrought, would they have gone? Would they have agreed to this coalition of the willing? Nee-san Tetsudashi, Kazuya Uchiha, Shin Kazehana, Nikuyo Yuki, and the dead one had thrown their best at her and the result was miserable failure.

"Even though I hold your life in my grasp I will not end it until after three years have expired. After that time has elapsed, if you do not come for me then I will seek you out and subject you to the cruelest and most painful death in the history of our craft" Honiko did not monologue for the sake of her own ego. She truly wanted to communicate what was at stake her. Not only to Yomi but to the others. "Flee unbeliever...." she turned to the group of ninja further away from her.  Honiko's eyes met Kotsubo's, Kanna's, and Gin's. "And take your trash with you". The irony here being that if Yomi was successfully paralyzed then they would be taking her with them.

Honiko would fling Yomi towards the group with enough force to break a bone or two. If Gin had thrown his giant shuriken like he had planned then Honiko would just throw Yomi into its path skipping the speech in its entirety if necessary or she would simply dodge with the woman still in her grasp she used her natural sense and perception of the environment to choose the most appropriate option. In fact, if the trio had decided to attack her first then they would certainly be in big trouble as the counter-attack would not be by her hand but by the rapidly approaching black mass that descended from the sky shortly after Honiko had finished speaking. Balerion would fly towards the group approaching from behind the Konoha and Kiri Nin. If they made any offensive gesture or attack towards Honiko he would bathe them in flame from above. If they did not, the dragon would land behind Honiko. It clutched a single golden casket in one of its feet. The dragon splayed its wings dramatically and Honiko casually leapt onto its back. She watched the shinobi curious to see if they would have the sense to flee. Honiko had wanted to test them more but she knew it was pointless at this stage. Kotsubo's look of determination as he had made the seals, Kanna's decision to heal Gin, and Gin's surprising non-nonchalance at their dire situation told her all she needed to know about them. They would die before they surrendered. And most assuredly they would die if she continued to attack them. This was not what she wanted. She did not value any of their lives except Yomi's and even Yomi's worth to her was purely as a test to see if someone could surpass her knowing her full capabilities. The rest of them did serve a function though. With all the other ninja dead they would exist purely to warn their respective villages.

The Day of Reckoning had come. The shinobi world would pay for its sins and there were those outside of the village's control that wielded the means and motivation to inflict serious loss of life.

They would be her heralds of doom whether they wanted to be or not. Honiko would not spare them if they did not take this chance to flee. If they made the wise decision to leave then Honiko would point to Bayushi and gesture "come here" curling her finger inward and bending it towards her. The intent was clear. He was to take his place on the back of the dragon alongside her. The dragon's tail whipped around and extended right near him with a thundering slap. He could thus walk up the appendage to sit next to her as he probably lacked the ability to mount the beast in a single bound. From this vantage point, the two could watch the events unfolding in the Emberdome.

So what will you do now Sukoshiryuu?

(Note: Sukoshiryuu = Little Dragon)

Used:
Body Flicker 4x
Hidden Shadow Snake Hands
Balerion


Honiko's Stats:
Strength: C -> B (Perfect Snake Sage Mode)
Constitution: C -> B  (Perfect Snake Mode)
Stamina: S
Speed: B -> A (Perfect Snake Sage Mode) -> S (Body Flicker)
Coordination: B -> A (Perfect Snake Mode)
Intelligence: B
Perception: A-> S (Perfect Snake Sage Mode)

Balerion's Stats:
Strength: C
Constitution: A
Stamina: B
Speed: B
Coordination: B
Intelligence: D
Perception: B

Kotsubo had stopped his water formation wall soon enough when he realised no attack had inflicted upon his water barrier for quite a bit, indicating that she stopped her attack which led to Kotsubo putting off the water barrier. He realised the handsigns that Yomi were using, and it didn't worry him too much since he can handle a few rough waves and water, since that's what his genes as a Hoshigaki granted him, but what gave him a bit more alert is when Honiko was fast enough to cancel Yomi's attack by going right in-front of her and grabbing her by the throat, followed with an injection of poison from the snakes that came from Honiko's limb, believing that he poisoned her.

Afterwards, when Honiko was about to throw Yomi over to the group, Kotsubo quickly used a spare hand to summon out a shadow clone and made it jump into an interception path to catch Yomi, also in consideration of Gin's giant shuriken should Gin be unable to stop it so Kotsubo's shadow clone would be a shield to prevent Yomi being pierced. Regardless of either way, Kotsubo would make his way to pick up Yomi and carry her over his shoulder, realising that the fight is temporarily stopped considering Honiko's attacks have been halted.

It was a good sign as any to flee when the massive beast from the sky had went down next to Honiko, just for her to casually jump onto it's back. Kotsubo considered his options here and knew that Honiko will definitely be a threat in the future if he didn't do something now, but the squad as it is would die by Honiko's hands if they continued to pursue battle with her, he wasn't exactly low on chakra and he assumed the other two weren't but the debut of the massive beast had changed his opinion on carrying the battle through. The only thing worse then a running coward is a dead one. He hasn't exactly done well this mission, but that's self-deprecating for another time.

Kotsubo took Honiko's generosity and decided it'd be best to flee for now, quickly looking over to Gin and Kanna to suggest the same. "I'm gonna head off like she wants us to, I think we'll die in vain if we try to continue this fight. I gotta report about this back at Kirigakure, I suggest you do the same back at your village." Kotsubo wasn't one who believed in unity or cooperation with other villages, but if this pale woman makes such an appearance again in the future... Kirigakure will need more help then it's own military to take them on, he knows that much unless Kirigakure can improve it's own military enough to take on such a threat, but he doubts they'll be able to do that in three years time. That wasn't up to him though, as he'd just simply give the report about what happened to Lord Mizukage back at the village.

He didn't know what the Konoha ninja would do, but Kotsubo would start to make his way back to the shore, to find the boat of the crew that Nozomi and Yomi had wiped out a while back and ride it back to the Land of Water, Kotsubo could honestly just swim underwater and make his way back to Kirigakure that way but considering he's carrying Yomi, he can't do that without drowning her so the boats the best way to go. He got the feeling that once he makes it back to the village, the old man Mizukage is gonna have his meat as sashimi for breakfast but he'd just worry about escaping for now, with Yomi knocked out on his shoulder.

(Exit --> Land of Water)

A sudden halt brought Gin's actions to a hold not conjuring his giant shuriken. Honiko took a different path in her actions making his follow up pointless. Instead he spectated for the brief moment Honiko confronted Yomi. For the most part he was playing the role he was assigned. Of course preserving his own well-being was important. He also had some form of loyalty to Kanna and the rest of Konoha. Following the events with Honiko and Yomi it was apparent she gave the remainder of the group a chance to flee. Without much consideration Kanna was quick to call Gin to escape as she fled the area. The Chuunin would nod in response passing a glance back at Kotsubo and the white haired woman. She made it clear she was in possession of a Jinchuuriki. It was news-worthy, following the events they have encountered in this mess of a town. Turning the other way he would trail behind Kanna keeping his pace as close to hers as he could.

[Exit ---> Land of Fire]

She was running as fast as she could after forcing out so much water out of her body, using up so much chakra she felt sick to her stomach and even still, this Honiko, that white-haired snakelike monster managed to yet again corner her like an ordinary animal. This woman who had taken away and swayed the only person she had admittedly called something akin to a friend, who had toyed with the entire group of shinobi before her and who had called her trash, was yet again making it glaringly obvious just how big the difference in power and pure capacity was between herself and Yomi.

Before the Chuunin could even react, she could feel the cold grasp around her throat, gripping it tight enough to hurt, even hard enough to choke, almost forcing the defiant Kiri-nin to pass out. If anything, Yomi grinned because she could see that the woman, despite her overwhelming power was just as much at the end of her rope as the Chuunin herself, yet this smile quickly faded into an expression of surprise and disbelief when she could feel the fangs of snakes dig deep into her skin, penetrating it with little effort and injecting with some sort of paralyzing toxin. "You bitch," the chuunin scoffed, as she could feel the toxin taking effect upon her, with her arms and legs going limp, but feeling as if they were cramping up on the inside. "You...think...you've won, heh..."

With those words, the chuunin succumbed to the toxin and passed out due to the combination of exhaustion, the toxin and the choking, being thrown at Kotsubo like a common ragdoll...

[Exit->travel to Kiri]

Bayushi was marveled by the appearance of the large purple barrier erected by the Honiko clones. But didn't miss for any of the action playing right in front of him. Honiko seemed to hone in on a singular opponent who seemed to be trying to escape. However they weren't exactly quick enough. Honiko's speed was immeasurable to anyone around them at the moment. Most would have confused the likes with teleportation.

She held the young woman by the neck and spoke venomously to her. "Your life is mine until the Jinchūriki proves otherwise but I'm giving you a reprieve from your ultimate fate. Three years. You have three years to close the gap between us or exceed my power if you think you can manage it."

So the girl that joined them and was now fighting the Kumo contingent by herself. Bayushi wondered why at first but its seemed that she was a Jinchuriki. This was huge, he had never met one before and but he was aware of the beasts inside of them.

If no more attacks were to continue on Honiko's person, Bayushi was about to witness more things he thought that he would never see. Something flapped and landed down with a golden casket in its feet. It was a dragon. Bayushi did not know what he got himself into. But not he was more than interested. His fear turned into curiosity as he couldn't help be draw. Honiko had thrown the Yomi chick, flinging her away like trash. She turned around and looked him, curling a finger beckoning him to join her on top of the dragon

That's my cue. Bayushi quickly jumped on the back of the dragon. Where he was able to watch the fight in the dome more clearly.

With no one to interrupt the jounin on his quick escape and dropping a shadow clone inside of the barrier. Morikawa came to a sliding stop after reaching the 20 meter mark from the barrier’s reach. Inside the barrier is his squad with his clone, and Morikawa can see the lone blonde who is now a former Kiri-nin from the sounds of it. Dusting himself off as the ash was kicked up as it trailed behind him during his escape. The Jounin looks over at what was just Honiko is now sitting on the dragon’s back.

“Great, so you acquire enough power to make so much destruction just to draw our attention eh?” Morikawa spoke up loud and clear for Honiko to hear him. Saying that Morikawa was angry is putting it mildly, yet he doesn’t lose his composure. In fact it would seem that his composure is solidified from the emotions. “If you wanted our attention dropping a dragon at our gates would have been enough for that. Yet you would go as far as destroying towns in your wake and attacked a sacred place? Other than your crusade what is it that you’re after?” Viable questions about the true reason why Honiko decided to choose this place as her battlefield. Perhaps it was because the temple simply wasn’t worshipping her way of thinking and so she wiped it out. However Morikawa wants to be wrong on that one because that scenario is beyond ridiculous and foolish to boot. All while keeping a safe 20 meter distance from the dragon, and suddenly the scorching trail leading up to this town makes sense.

Nozomi was in serious trouble. The Vestal Priestess ,ever a paragon of virtue and justice tried to calm the situation but it was clear that her comrades viewed Nozomi as an enemy to be completely annihilated. Honiko's new ward spoke her name in response to a question asked by the priestess. The girl was eager to resolve the situation peacefully and even went as far as to chide her superior when he made it clear that he was prepared to put Nozomi down. Nozomi...Little Dragon, you wanted a fight and now you shall have it... she thought with cruel irony. She was hopelessly outnumbered and while she was a jinchurikki she also appeared to be a mere genin which meant if things got serious she'd likely rely heavily on her Tailed Beast. This would give Honiko a clear picture of exactly what she was working with. She was curious as to what extent the two had learned to work together and how much power she could draw out from the Bijuu before it fully possessed her. The opening salvo was filled with violence as Nozomi wasted no time in entering the Initial Jinchuriki Mode. Honiko watched the fight play out with her Sage Mode still active. She wanted Nozomi to be pushed to her absolute limit and then some. She would step in before the girl destroyed herself but not a moment before then. When Nozomi was lethally wounded by Natsuru's arrow and collapsed, Honiko raised an eyebrow and rose into a crouch. She was ready to spring forward at a moment's notice as the fight was entering into a new and deadly phase.

The Little Dragon was not dead. Years of experience had told her that much. Even more telling was the bubbling demonic chakra that was pouring from every square inch of the girl's body. Honiko's advanced chakra sensing abilities informed her that this was the moment where Nozomi would earn her prize or die trying. Honiko could tell from how short this fight would have lasted that her new student was only marginally stronger than Bayush. She had limited skill on her own and if it came down to it she was not ready to take on important tasks solo. It was purely the Tailed Beast driving her forward at this point: healing her wounds, strengthening her body, and granting her new abilities. It was only a matter of time before the snowball effect kicked in and Nozomi would be on an uncontrollable path to unleashing the Bijuu that dealt within. Honiko's body remained primed and ready to intervene at just the right moment.

It appeared the Jounin in charge had slipped out of the barrier although he was wise to not dismantle it. Honiko would turn him into a stew of blood and organs if he interfered with her ward's test by shattering the dome. The mysterious multi-colored haired man asked why she had chosen the Valley of Jehosphat to make her appearance. Honiko cast an angry look towards him. The object of her mission was clearly in the grasp of the dragon's talon. A single golden casket was clutched by the beast. She turned her attention back to the fight and answered him.

"無知の背教者. Remaking the world is an arduous task fraught with endless complexities and requirements. If I took the time to explain to you all the intricate details of my crusade and the forces at play, you'd be an greybeard although no less feeble in mind and body than you currently are" she said with a sneer. Honiko manifested a single tomahawk in her hand and etched a cipher into it using her incredibly tough nails. She worked quickly using her enhanced speed to graft the entirety of the message onto the weapon. She then threw it at Morikawa but it was clear from the force and trajectory of the tool it was not meant to actually harm him. The characters were small and foreign yet they contained an important message for him and a clue as to what precisely she intended to accomplish after having visited this place and slaughtering its inhabitants.

Tomahawk Note

Spoiler:

Honiko inched forwards until she was clearly on the dragon's head, the blue aura of nature chakra rippling around her. This fight would not last much longer and the next few moments would be decisive in determining a winner.

Stuff:
Same

The spectacle was truly something to behold. He had started this venture to see what was jump starting so much ruckus. How the tables had turned to it being he was apart of such ruckus. It was more than that now. This ruckus was turning into something much more deadly and dangerous by the minute. There was a new player in town, Oh crap. Its Morikawa. He appeared suddenly, openly opposing Honiko. Nozomi was having a hard time, an arrow piercing her was probably the least of her problems. Her powers were manifesting at an alarming rate because of the dangerous battle she was in. Even with a bijuu on her side, those ninjas were more than capable of putting up a fight.

He saw Honiko exchange her own veiled words with Morikawa. Even in the middle of the heated words of Jounin, Honiko was nonplussed. Reaching out a tomahawk appeared in her hands. That's an interesting technique. Just what is she even? She barely seemed human but her powers were beyond that. And she has a dragon! I made the right choice. Now an enemy to the state, village and country. A huge target had been put on his back at an early age. Tough luck. Honiko somehow etched a complicated message to advance for Bayushi to understand, and threw the tomahawk at the Jounin. It seemed slow though, slow enough for Bayushi to see it clearly. She edged forward on the dragons head. Bayu held tightly on the back of the dragon, not knowing what to expect. Then there was awesome blue aura emanating around her. What else were they prepared for?