Gleam in the Night(CLOSED)

Posts : 542

The wind rushed by his ears in a teasing touch. It was a cool night air that caressed his warming skin. Spring had begun to slowly gain ground against its winter cousin but the hold was minimal. Such loss could be felt on this night. His pace was steady; there was no need to rush. In truth, the reason why the speed of his legs was so below the actual ability was because the boy did not know what to do. It had all started about half an hour ago. The bronzed Genin known as Kinoshi, Kana, had been out practicing low light reconnaissance when his eyes caught a sight of something. At first, the boy had thought he had seen a shadow being cast by the lazy moon as it traversed the great heavens. The slightest of movements was evidence of his mistake as the other detached itself from the darkness and the shadow took form. If somebody would have told the young medic that he was witnessing a Genjustu the young man would be inclined to agree. The visage that presented itself in front of him was such that it was only possible if the being had come out of some nightmare or feverish fear. It was not because the person who walked the night as if had been born from it emanated any sort of raw evil, but because of the way even the moon beams seemed to hesitate bouncing off the two tailed cape it wore. The result was an artificial darkness that seemed to hug the other person close.

As if sensing the medic’s stare, the other had just slightly turned his head in the direction where the Genin was observing the other. Though Kana was no master at hiding or suppressing his chakra, he knew that no normal person should have been able to spot it. Unless…unless the other person was also a shinobi. Like a shadow which has seen the light being turned on, the other had somehow disappeared. Kana had given chase, not because he wanted to but because it was something he needed to do. All Konoha shinobi have the responsibility of safeguarding the safety of the village and a person walking in the dark with no obvious reason and as mysterious as the one had just been, merited questioning. Should he be mistaken and the other was just a passerby, Kana was more than ready to apologize fully. However, in the event that such a person meant harm to the inhabitants of the Leaf, it was the medic’s obligation to eliminate the thread or at the very least gather information about it.

So now, the young Genin was chasing a shadow. Plunging himself blindly into what could very well be the jaws of the proverbial wolf. His feet landed in the branch of one of the ancient trees surrounding the Hidden Leaf Village. These trees had seen the birth and growth of many a generation of shinobi. They had seen the destruction caused by the last war and had seen the will to persevere of those who had helped rebuild it. Now, they stood like silent witnesses to what would transpire. One knee touched the bark as it came to rest next to the right foot leaving the young Genin in a kneeling position. Both palms of his hand would land on either side of his legs. The purpose was to break his silhouette as much as possible. The shadow had seemed to stop in slight clearing. It was about 30 meters in diameter in an irregular circle. There was a brook or small creek running about 15 meters from the edge of the trees to Kana’s east and the persons south. It this position, the moon could not help but bounce of deadly golden eyes. It was not the sort of light one hoped to see. After all, death is nothing more than a gleam in the night.

Age : 30 Posts : 356

A light breeze whispered past, it's touch like a lovers soft kiss upon his warm skin. The night was not warm, yet neither was it cold, an oxymoron in and of itself. 'Only in this country does the weather react in such an uncouth and rebellious nature.' These were the thoughts of Keisuke Noroi, known defector of Kumogakure and self proclaimed Lunar Nightmare. Before his bladed companion could begin to reply something on the edge of his vision shifted. Without breaking his stride he subtly glanced over towards the treeline on his right, noticing a slight distortion within the shadows of the leafy peaks. Continuing onward without pause was the only option as he knew not how many were watching him. That, coupled with the fact that he was within enemy territory, led him ever onward, his eyes darting from side to side warily even as his hand rested on the hilt of Masamune.

Irritation swelled within him for a split second, his patience running thin. Not only had the enemy been following him for nigh on a mile, but they had stayed just at the edge of his vision the entire time. It was because of this that he had been able to figure out the number of pursuers, as a subtle rustle of a tree was all his sensitive ears needed. His sight beheld a small clearing in the distance, a plan beginning to form within the dark recesses of his twisted mind. Upon reaching the small hollow he allowed his head to fall back, moonlight illuminating his unnaturally Amber eyes until they glowed a bright gold. Knowing the shinobi had followed him he spoke, his voice a terrifying melody of controlled chaos and unrelenting hatred," Come, depart of your shadowed cowardice. I tire of this game." As the words left his mouth a shiver ran through the clearing, the wind suffering a painful and abrupt death almost as if by silent command. Without so much as blinking Keisuke unsheathed Masamune before flinging it across the clearing in a smooth fluid arc. The blade in question slammed into the tree the ninja was hiding in with no small amount of force, digging into the large plant almost four feet and shaking its mass nearly off its roots with little to no effort.

Now down a blade Keisuke reached over his right shoulder, grasping Suigetsu with his left hand before drawing her in a flashy, if not unnecessary, flourish. Eyes still pinned upon the luminescent white orb above him he uttered a single sentence," You will come to fear the name, Getsumen Akumu!"

Posts : 542

Darkness had always been devoid of sound. Fear had always been ruled by the erratic tempo of one’s heart as it pumped the life blood through the veins. Hatred had always been a horrid shriek in the night. All these had combined in one single voice, one single being. This being, clothed in black as if made from the shades themselves, spoke to Kana in a shiver inducing tone. The young Genin was not without fear and he could sense some power in the man, how much was suppressed, and the medic did not know. The deadly sentence flew through the air like murderous knives and Kana hesitated. To make his point, the other would unsheathe his sword, flinging it like a lethal calling card towards the hiding medic. A sword of might and strength, most would have trouble wielding let alone flinging through the air, spun in a deadly dance. Kana was thankful for the girth of the tree. The many years it had spent weaving its bark now saved the young man from a quick death. The sword buried itself deep in the trunk of the tree shaking the giant to its core.

Incredibly, this actually gathered the medics scattered thoughts and fears and coalesced them. Here was a man who was dangerous. He was not of this village nor had shown himself to be harmless or with good intentions. As a shinobi of the Leaf, it was Kana’s duty to repel this person and make the forest safe again. Who knew if the other had met some defenseless civilian what would have happened? After hearing the request, which sounded more like a venomous hiss that human tongue, Kana stepped out from the shadows? He wore his usual clothing. Relaxed pants bloused at the shins were worn above tan boots. Skin tight turtle neck beneath a grayish-white shin length travel poncho. The symbol of his assignment as a Konoha Genin rested on his left shoulder, the silver leaf symbol sparkling in the moonlight. A hood was pulled over his head leaving his face in shadows but his field of vision was not broken.

The boots crunched the grass as he stepped into the clearing, the light of the moon flashing on his poncho and seeming to enhance the colors making it seem as if the garment was aglow. It was quite a sight to see, Kana gleaming in white and the other, Getsumen Akumu, as he had introduce himself, clad in darkness. Seeing the other draw his blade, the medic did the same. He dug into his pouch for a kunai and held it at the ready. Being proper as always he replied, “I am Kinoshi, Kana, and Genin of Konoha. I do not mean to fight with you but I can not let dangerous looking strangers go on unchallenged. Especially, one who is so quick to draw a blade. Please state your purpose or leave this area. If you wish to cause harm, then I will be forced to oppose you.” His voice was polite but firm. Kana had felt the cold fingers of fear earlier but now, his resolve was encased in his sense of responsibility for the lives of the many sleeping villagers not two miles from here.

His eyes stayed on the stranger hoping to analyze and come up with some sort of battle plan. The man was no doubt athletically built. The sword that now found its sheath in the trunk of the tree was formidable itself, no doubt able to half a man in a one swing. The other the stranger now wielded was monstrous, standing almost as tall as the Genin itself and perhaps as heavy as him. This alone presented a problem the assessment was that the person possessed great strength which would make him a close range fighter to use it. Kana was fit like a shinobi but would pose no threat to this man. Jutsu started to appear in his head that would hopefully help but the best bet would be to utilize his evasion training to the utmost. Both stood immobile, in a stare down that seemed to last forever.

Age : 30 Posts : 356

Suddenly his vision shifted, now focused on the tree from which Masamune protruded. The shadows twisted as if writhing in unfathomable agony, a silent specter gliding from within their depths moments later. Distaste riddled Keisuke's covered features for a moment, the piercing white ensemble before him rendering him speechless from its contrast. Studying the figure with a critical eye was next, his golden orbs falling upon the enemy shinobi's odd state of dress with mild interest. The symbol of his village, a spiraling leaf, glowed against the stark background of his cloak. The entirety seemed to have an almost ancient aura about it, as if the clothing itself had transpired time itself. Connected to his odd gear was a shrouded hood, the length of which covered all but the foremost of his face with darkness.

His once-over was interrupted as the phantom spoke, his voice being of a lilting alto,“I am Kinoshi, Kana, and Genin of Konoha. I do not mean to fight with you but I can not let dangerous looking strangers go on unchallenged. Especially, one who is so quick to draw a blade. Please state your purpose or leave this area. If you wish to cause harm, then I will be forced to oppose you.” Gold met Chocolate in a blazing duel, Keisuke's expression one of complete boredom and nonchalance. Without so much as a warning he launched from his position, covering the meager distance between them in a matter of seconds. Rearing back his zanbatou he gave a mighty upward heave, literally cleaving through the ground like wet paper as he launched his diagonal strike. Within the shadow of the attack lay another strike, this one a kick aimed towards the chest area. It was a fake. In reality Keisuke would launch into the air upside down, spinning and slashing with his massive cleaver even as he swung his legs out to both steady himself and attack. The move was advanced and left him somewhat exposed, however at close range it would make no difference.

Slash still en-route the Nuke-nin allowed himself a malicious smile, his visage turning from neutral to psychotically twisted almost instantaneously.

Posts : 542

Unlike Kana’s sense of time and its whimsical passing, their stare down did not last an eternity. No sooner had the young medic stepped from the concealment and relative security of the shadows that the man born from darkness itself disappeared into them in a flash. His eyes went wide, as if to try and collect as much moonlight as possible to locate the deadly shadow which had disappeared from his gaze. The bronzed Genin did not have to look long for no sooner had Getsumen vanished from his sight that a flash of steel warned the young Leaf ninja that death wanted to take him for a ride. It was instinct more than actual skill that saved Kana from becoming half the man he was. Knowing in his mind that he would be no match for the evidently close range fighter, Kana knew that he had to keep his distance and employ all he had learned in evasion in order to survive. The instant the other had disappeared, the young Genin had jump rolled to his right in the direction of the impaled sword. He had hoped to use the tree as a sort of shield but the speed and power at which the attacker worked, left the tree providing just enough cover for Kana to save his left side from being carved.

Luck was more than the medic needed however and the attack was no done yet. The black clad opponent launched himself in the air in a series of complicated moves that left Kana reacting more than actually defending himself. He had landed from his roll in a one leg kneeling position but as the other twisted in mid air to attack from the top, Kana rolled back to his original position. As he did however, he presented a very open target as his back spun at just the wrong time, or perfect time if you were the attacking blade, and his right shoulder felt the bite of the monstrous sword. Pain surged through the young man’s body but pain was something Kana knew. This was not his first cut and was certainly nothing that would cause his death. However, it reminded him that this blade was seeking more than just his blood, it was seeking his life.

As the roll ended a few feet from the closest range the sword could be swung, Kana rolled back into the one legged crouch. He knew a smaller target would be just a bit harder to hit. He kept all his extremities close to his body not wanting to present an easy chopping spot. Though the pain in his shoulder burned like warm acid, his hands begun to form the seals of a jutsu. He would not be done in the next two seconds but the short sequence would be completed in three. His eyes worked extra hard to keep track of the other. Kana knew that this would only get worse if the fight dragged on. The other was no doubt trained to have great stamina and the young medic would no last long even if he just suffered small cuts. By the end of the fight his body would be reduced to ribbons.

Nature had gone eerily silent around them. The world around them had smelled death and waited to see who would come out the victor from this struggle. The slight rush of the wind among the leaves the only up front spectator valiant enough to get close to the spinning blades of the deadly Akumu. It could perhaps be because the increased beat of his own heart as it pumped to deliver much needed blood to the muscles that would expend a great deal of energy trying to keep the bronzed teen alive. Whatever the case, should he fall, only the moon and the silent trees would be witnesses to the fight. He hoped that at least for their sake, he would die in a manner befitting a Konoha shinobi.
(abilities used)

Spoiler:

Age : 30 Posts : 356

'He's good.' This singular thought passed through the Getsumen Akumu's head even as he completed his upward slash. The white clad ninja had not only dodged his attack, but had done it via narrow and precise margins even he would be hard pressed to match. A small smirk crossed his visage for but a moment, his true love of battle showing in that brief span of time. It was directly after that, however, that he launched his next assault, leaping into the air and spinning rapidly. Even before he completed his first rotation he knew the Nin had moved, attempting to evade his airborne tactics with leaps and rolls. It was during his third spin that he saw it, an opening in the Konoha Nins defense. He went for it. Using the weight of his blade along with gravity he managed to literally change direction mid air. The reaction was instant, Suigetsu catching Kana on his right shoulder. The wound was not deep by any means, however it would restrict his ability to move and that was all Keisuke needed. 'How deep was that gash?' This was directed to the sword bound beauty in his hand, her finely serrated edge gleaming crimson under the lunar guardians light.

'Superficial. I missed every artery and vain, not to mention the shallow nature of the cut negated me from reaching his muscle tissue.' That brought a scowl to his mostly covered features. Either this man had the luck of both the heavens and the underworld, or he was very adept at dodging incoming attacks. Neither sat well with the Lunar Nightmare. These musing were striped from his mind rather forcefully, instincts screaming at him. Golden orbs locked onto moving hands, their blurs moving with sequenced ease that suggested much practice. Without so much as a thought he launched, tearing the ground with the force of his takeoff. A glint, it's very being promising deceit and destruction, appeared in his eye as he wound up his left arm. As soon as he was within range he swung, the vertical strike aiming to cleave his enemy in twine. Mid strike he directed his arm in a wide arc, the force carrying the carbon steel chain around his opponent and onto Masamune. With a tug the chain attached itself via the hilt, the heave following unearthing the sword towards the back of the unsuspecting Kana.

Even as their eyes met in a battle of smoldering chocolate and blazing amber Keisuke spoke, his voice darkness incarnate," Konoha will fall, and your truth will be the first casualty."

Posts : 542

Time, the abstract essence seemed to be having a personal amusement at the expense of the young medic. Not only would it seem to slow to a painful crawl when danger was present as if to extend the amount of torture that could be provided but it seemed to fly when it was the Medic’s turn to retaliate. Thankfully, Kana was never one to succumb to the whims of such an erratic concept as time. His training had taught him to predict and preempt just enough to survive. This did not guarantee success but is greatly increased his ability to meet any challenge regardless of the amount of time before the actual attack came. It was because of this that time was taken out of the equation even as it continued to tick its eternal passage.

No sooner had the last attack ended that the embodiment of darkness before him launched in a renewed attempt to claim his life. The soft and moist ground feeling the pain that Kana felt as the feet of the blood hungry man tore into it much the same way that the monstrous blade had torn into the Gennin’s flesh. The mighty spring of muscle and power sent the other flying towards the Leaf ninja with outstanding speed. Once again the mighty weapon was brought to bear this time threatening to symmetrically divide the young Medic. The downward blow promised a quick, and hopefully painless, end to the bronzed shinobi.
However, Kana was ready to call it quits. His last few seals were formed just as the downward strike had begun. Once again time enforced its whim on the mortal realm and it passed with snail speed allowing the trained eye of the Medic to see all that transpired in that short span of time. The chakra of his jutsu was already at work and it infused his hair with power. In the blink of the eye the hair expanded and extended to cover the top half of his body. That was all the time it had but thankfully, it was all that would be needed. The seconds that it took for the chain to swish past him and pry the smaller blade resting in the tree behind him, was what saved Kana.

His hair, hardened to steel by chakra and the body’s own unique blend of chemicals, had turned into a make shift armor. The layered nature of hair had the feel of chain mail. Its bulk would give it a consistency as if scale or segmented armor. It was this, and only this that denied the deadly Akumo his bloody victory. As the great blade had finally begun to descend, Kana had just slightly shifted his head to the right, due to the proximity of his shoulders to his head; they were the first to be covered by the bio armor. Though the edge of the blade did not dig into his shoulder, the sheer weight of it still caused damage. An audible crack could be heard as a bone in either his shoulder or collar bone snapped under the immense weight.

The lower left side of his back was not as fortunate. The seconds the hair had taken to grow had only just barely beaten the other blade which attacked from behind. However, due to the limited time, only a few layers provided protection and the blade was able to cut into him about an inch or so. Thankfully, it was not near his spine or his kidneys. That did not mean it did not hurt however and Kana grimaced at the pain it brought and a small humph could be heard as the impact coursed through his body.

Wanting to return the favor, Kana released the sister jutsu of the one that had just barely saved his life and thousands of hairs, now transformed into deadly senbon like projectiles, flew towards the dark attacker. At this range, some should be able to hit before the other could bring his great blade to act like a shield. This attack was in no way meant to kill the other but it should suffice to let the other know that Kana would not be the first casualty, at least not an easy one. The medic would have replied with some sort of valiant response had it not been for the fact that his air had been knocked out of him by the treacherous blade that attacked him from the rear.

(jutsu used)

Spoiler:

Posts : 542

(Due to Golden being dead in another thread and with his conscent, this topic is now closed.)

Subject: Re: Gleam in the Night(CLOSED) Fri 13 Apr 2012, 1:48 am

ARCHIVED.