|
Post by ryuuraizen on May 8, 2008 0:01:42 GMT -5
The sword was the first thing that caught Ryuu's eye. After that? Most things seemed fairly irrelevant. He'd listen to Hiiro, but honestly, he was watching the blade, the whole time. He knew that it was, in theory, possible for him to be too distracted, but he felt fairly comfortable that the boy was still in front of him.
"Hiiro... you don't want to fight me. It won't end well." He was serious. Ryuu had experience over this kid. "Listen, I don't wanna hurt you. And, more importantly, I don't wanna hurt the people of Suna. Let's go... Out, into the desert. You wanna fight me? You spare them. You don't spare them? I'll simply stop you."
His eyes seemed to cool, staring at Hiiro... as if it was analyzing everything about the boy. From his stance, to his sword, down to how much sand the child covered with his shadow. He seemed to be taking it all in... all at once... He raised his mask over his mouth, and simply said, "There won't be a winner here, Hiiro... just two injured parties..."
He moved his hand back, and took out a Kunai. He then made a note to keep his sword on person from now on.
|
|
|
Post by Leiko-hime on May 8, 2008 13:22:09 GMT -5
[atrb=border,0,true][cs=7][bg=f9fbfa]
Akiyama, Hiiro
------
The point of his katana wavered in a tiny circle, the point flickering as whatever light made it through the grime in the air played placidly across the blade. His lips twitched the corners curving upward in a small smile, his skin was no longer tinged with the chill of the air, the heat of the battle was enough to warm him. He found the man's grasping attempts at conversation almost amusing. Behind him he listened to the sound of Okaasan's vines slithering across the desolate dunes.
"Oh, but I do Raizen-sama." He said softly, his head tilted in a slightly predatory cant, like a wolf ready to pounce it's well deserved prey. "You are a man older than I, I'm sure you know what they say about a man with nothing left to loose."
And he hadn't anything left to loose, all he had left was the cause he'd dedicated himself to several years gone. The Hime he'd pledged to fight for, out of friendship, duty, and absolute loyalty. She'd been their leader since they were in the Academy, and as the years went by their affection for her and her position only grew. He was willing to give his life to see her dream through.
He continued to ignore the slight give away of his condition that showed with the vague waver of his katana. He didn't care, he'd make his stand.
He had his pride, even if that was all he had.
He didn't plan on dying this night, he knew well his limits, after all. He would retreat when the time came, but for now....
For now he was feeling just a bit vindictive toward this man who'd finally forced him to relinquish what he had left.
His free hand flew to the weapons pouch at his hip, dipping in to curl around several leaves within. He knew he was in for a rough battle, even his normal battle gear remained depleted. He ignored this, pulling out three of the leaves, each was about the length of the average kunai. Held between the curled fingers of his hand he touched them with his chakra watching as the limp vegetation immediately stiffened; sharp as any blade.
Without a seconds hesitation he flicked his hand out, throwing the blade like leaves toward Raizen, "If you mean what you say, then drive me away, Lightning Man!" He challenged, using his plants name for the man.
------
The Rose Red Devil
|
|
|
|
Post by ryuuraizen on May 8, 2008 13:57:00 GMT -5
Perhaps all the time Hiiro had spent with Leiko might have taught him how to deal with people moving quickly. Even if that were the case, Ryuu moved fast, easily dodging the leaves. He was going to hold back, sure... but, that's just cause he knew the boy.
"You call me Lightning Man... Do you even being to know how suited I am to that name?" he asked, as he made simple clones. Just enough to give them weight. Once he did that, he began to make a circle around Hiiro. Moving circle, mind you. He wasn't going to get himself caught by a dozen bugs simply because he was standing still. He made several fast handseals... then, he threw his kunai at Hiiro. Aiming for his head. What he did next was gather enough chakra in his feet to push off from the sand like it was a springboard. He propelled his fist at Hiiro's solar plexus. The issue was... his fist was charged.
Ryuu Raizen was known for not getting hit, though the difference between often and ever was often just rumor. If there was one thing he could do, it was react on his toes. Every action that set him back, he'd recover from. That was, simply, what he did best. And, when he did lunge at Hiiro, you could be sure he was trying to make the boy either duck into a fist, or jump into a kunai. Ryuu... did not play nice.
|
|
|
Post by Leiko-hime on May 8, 2008 14:37:47 GMT -5
[atrb=border,0,true][cs=7][bg=f9fbfa]
Akiyama, Hiiro
------
He'd dodged the leaves just as Hiiro had expected he would: Something had spoken to him that the man was the type to move, rather than the type to take a hit. Maybe it was because he reminded him vaguely of Haru and Leiko. Maybe it was just instinct. Whatever it was he just new that Raizen would dodge his attack, which played well into his hand.
Every movement the man or his clones made caused the plants hiding under the sand to shoot out, biting and snapping. Anytime Ryuu touched the ground it sent shock waves of vibrations through the earth, and the second he touched the plants flew out of the sand to attack, before retreating as he moved on. It'd be nearly impossible to escape unscathed: Even Leiko couldn't do that. She always had to pause for a millisecond, and it that moment she would often get bit, even if it was only the barest scrapes of teeth.
And Leiko, was much faster than this man, at least as far as Hiiro was concerned. Then again, not many could beat the Sumiyaka at speed, ad their princess was the fastest of them.
"It was the Colony who named you such, I'm sure they have their reason for it." He retorted. All he knew on the matter was that the plants had conveyed a feeling of electricity to him when it came to Raizen's chakra. They'd been close enough to get a feel for it, so he supposed that the man had lightning based chakra. The kira-kusaki had shown him the feelings of a lightning storm, he trusted their intuition when it came to chakra.
The hiss of a kunai through the air alerted him to it, and he swayed his torso to the side, jerking his head out of the line of fire, his foot scraping through the sand as he turned, flowing with the movement. As a result the attack that Ryuu made with a fist toward his stomach would impact, but only in a scraping against his side.
As soon as it did, and as soon as he could feel the flare of electrical chakra flowing over his body it took all the moment of a firing synapse for his chakra to work, and the kira-kusaki to respond. The pain of electricity flared through his body, the plants exploded from the ground wrapping around his calves, and legs, sinking teeth into his skin as well as vines. Green blood oozed from the woods. Beneath the surface the little plants coiled together, holding together and dug roots into the ground.
Grounded, by both the plants and his own unique attachment to the earth with his chakra the lightning coursed through his body, and faded into the ground. Tossing his head, his garnet fringe fluttered against his brow. Sweat beaded across his forehead despite the cold of the desert night.
It had been painful while it had lasted. His plants released him, some of them twitching, and sparking from the electricity.
The blade of his katana sang as he retaliated by sweeping it through the air toward Raizen's head.
The sound of the katana's blade whistling through the air was brought to a sudden halt by the rattle of a chain curling around the long, vaguely curved blade. Hiiro jerked his head up, feeling the resistance of the chain. Staring along the familiar length his eyes met with the oddly pale gray eyes of his former sensei. Surprise registered the garnet haired man's eyes as they widened minutely in shock.
Hadn't Shuji left with the rest of the Sumiyaka?
The elder ninja's eyes flickered to the side slightly, looking toward the deeper desert, his head leaning forward as he applied more pressure on the chain, dragging it back fractionally. Hiiro's prey had long since vacated the vicinity
He knew in that moment what Shuji wanted of him, and Hiiro's head jerked slightly. To anyone else it would have looked like a movement of annoyance toward the detained sword, but Shuji understood, that Hiiro had gotten his message loud and clear.
Shuji gave the chain just the tiniest amount of slack.
Hiiro reacted instantly, jerking his katana upward, and backward. Metal on metal sang through the area, and Shuji immediately jerked on the chain whipping it back wards, and through the air before letting the scythe like blade he'd been holding whip forward.
Hiiro sprang back wards, propelling himself with chakra, the point of Shuji's curving weapon hitting the sand before quickly whipping back, into motion.
Hiiro continued to dodge the quick attacks, while not far away Okaasan burrowed into the sand leaving nothing but a gaping, quickly filling depression in her wake.
Hiiro could feel the blade of the chain-scythe whip across his chest, but his face registered nothing as green tinted blood spurted from the slice.
He quickly slammed the katana back into it's sheath, his fingers nimbly grabbing a handful of needle lick thorns from his weapons pouch. Throwing them into the air he swiftly directed his hands through the proper seals barking out his command, "Ikusen Ni-doru Shishou no Jutsu!"
The needles seemed to freeze mid air for a millisecond before lancing toward Shuji in a sharp rain. The Sumiyaka immediately whipped back wards, flipping faster than the eye could see through the air to land in a crouch a few yards back.
The both stared over the expanse of sand between them, eyes grim, faces set. Green blood stained the Akiyama's tattered white jacket. Shuji ignored the few needles that had managed to find a new home among his flesh.
Silence but for the rushing of the desert wind, and the roar of shifting sand sounded around them.
Hiiro could feel fatigue causing his muscles to tremble, though it wasn't noticeable to any watching him. The sounds of voices called through the dark from Suna, more ninja arriving to give aid.
Hiiro flicked his glance toward the dim approaching shadows, then whirled around. Pushing what was left of his chakra to his feet he took off at a quick run into the desert, immediately falling into the routine of quick, stealthy travel the Sumiyaka had taught him to make his escape.
Behind him, he could hear the newly arrived reinforcements questioning Shuji.
------
The Rose Red Devil
|
|
|