Boiling Over(Semi-Private, PM for invite)

Age : 33 Posts : 718

((Sorry for going and making this semi-open on my own. I won't accept anyone joining without discussing it with you first.))

Tensions had been building in the Kousen clan compound as of late. Mugen's advances in Ranton were impressive and normally someone of his age would be held in high esteem as a prodigy among peers. However Mugen's murder of the Kousen genin, Kiemon, changed everything. Even though the boy was on a killing spree and had to be stopped, there were still many within the clan who looked at Mugen with disgust for having taken the life of another young Ranton user. The fact that Mugen was able to get a lenient sentence only served to further ostracize him from the rest of the clan. Only Mugen's parents still greeted him with a smile each day, but he could see the doubt behind their eyes. They also wondered if he were losing his faith in the clan. For one whom has known nothing but dedication to his clan, this put Mugen in a state of frustration and confusion. He'd done the right thing and even convinced the clan elders to change clan policy, but all it had earned him was the spite of his peers.

Out of a desire to escape the cold un-accepting eyes of his clansmen, Mugen chose to spend most of his day today outside the village. The young Kousen resolved to try and train his anger and uneasiness away. The Great Geyser would be his dojo for the day. A vast rocky area covered in various pools and holes where boiling hot water is known to spontaneously spurt forth. Between all the geysers and the stark difference in temperature between the air and the water, a moderate steam cloud shrouded the area making it hard to see more than 15 meters in any direction. It would be here in this heated mist where one would find Mugen covered in sweat, honing his body and skills. He was standing on a craggy surface with many geysers that release at different angles. The result was a dangerous plot of earth where one could get hit with scalding hot water from any angle at any moment. A deep breath went through the young shinobi as he closed his eyes and listened for the sound of water bubbling up to the surface...From behind!' Mugen mentally exclaimed as he turned and stepped to the left just in time to dodge a steaming spray. Another three geysers went off in succession one after the other as if the geysers were part of some sick backwards whack a mole. Mugen's movements were erratic as he darted back and forth between the geysers until he navigated through them safely and reached a plateau of sorts. An area there the earth piled up in one spot creating a slightly elevated stage of sorts. It was about 30 meters wide and another 40 meters long and there were only about a dozen geysers around that ranged from small bubblers simply making tiny pools to high pressure gushers shooting liquid up to 15 feet in the air.

Mugen jumped up onto the stage-like rock formation and unzipped his hoody allowed the hidden Kumogakure head band around his waist to be visible. The white haired youth then made his way to the middle of the stage where he planned on doing some suiton jutsu practice. But a fate had other plans for the Kousen genin for today his training was not meant to be solo. Another Kumogakure nin was nearby for his own reasons and it was only a matter of time before the two would meet.

Age : 34 Posts : 590

It was not unlike Senji to randomly walk around while reading one of his many business books to help him study for the day that he really takes over his family business. What was different was the area in which he was walking, the hot springs that his family owned was a great place to rest and relax but at the same time he was not really in the mood to relax. Even as Senji walked through the geyser filled area his nose was still buried deep within the book. That he not to say he wasn't paying attention to the area around him. While feeling the grounds odd shakes and quakes he would move out of the way just barely avoiding a blast of hot water as it would shoot into the air. It was wonderful training while at the same time great way to study since he seemed to remember things better when he was in harms way.

However even as he continued along the path he couldn't help be get distracted as he remembered his last mission that didn't exactly end the way he wanted. He was blood thirsty and desperately needing to get into a fight and all the studying in the world that he could be doing was not enough to keep him calm for very long. Yet as he walked through the valley of geysers he couldn't help but feel that maybe his luck would change and possibly soon he would have the chance to get into some real combat to alleviate his boredom. Though even as he walked around he was not about to get jumped by a group of bandits or thugs that he could just mindlessly kill and bathe in their blood. "Why is it when I want thing to go one way I don't get it? what's the point of money if you can't get attacked by thugs that want to kidnap you for ransom?" Senji thought as he entered a new area of geysers where another young shinobi was training which only served to peak Senji's interest.

As he approached the ninja that was currently training in the area and watched him perform dodges to avoid the geysers that were blasting all around him. It took a moment for Senji to notice but a flash of metal at the shinobi's waist and Senji saw that he was a ninja from the same village. Needless to say Senji was impressed which only served to drive his want for blood even higher. Slipping his book into his coat side pocket Senji began to clap loudly all in the hopes that it would get the shinobi's attention and possibly lead to some sort of fun in Senji's mind.

Spoiler:

Age : 33 Posts : 718

((Sorry, just clapping doesn't give me much to reply to without taking liberties with your character so I'm just makin a small post to move this along. You're here for a fight right? :3 ))

It was surprising that Senji was able to stalk Mugen's training through the geysers up till his suiton practice at the center of the large rock stage, but managed to go unseen. Perhaps Mugen would have realized he'd been watched before the clapping began if he weren't so focused and upset over his clan issues. He just finished a particularly mad thought behind the last jutsu he performed making a bit stronger than usual from an overflow of chakra, but that had made his control poor and sent it off from his intended aim. This made the clapping frustrate Mugen even more as he felt it was a terrible execution. Of course, the sound of applause would take the genin's attention as he turned to see his audience as a single youth who looked to be a bit older than Mugen despite being the same age. That along with the head band tied to his arm made Mugen initially think he was an older genin whom simply couldn't pass the chuunin exams.

With that assumption in mind Mugen would normally thank him for the clapping and then excuse himself so as not to be in a Senpai's way...but Mugen wasn't thinking straight. His brain was already boiling as he neared a potential break down where all he wanted to do was scream. So a rare show of disrespect escaped the Kousen's lips as he glared the new comer down, "Get lost..." His eyes were wide open and cold. As a natural defensive reaction Mugen's mask took on the same empty look he had before he'd taken his first life. There are limits to how imposing a 4'11" tall genin could look, but the sensation of a budding killing intent could certainly be felt radiating from his gaze. But this was just a psychological defense brought forth due to the confused state of Mugen's emotions at the moment. On the inside he wanted to break down and cry. He needed a snap. A release of his pent up frustration. Perhaps that is what drove him to speak his next words.

"If you take one step closer, I'll send you to the next world."

The provocative threat was daring Senji to defy it, but the look in Mugen's eyes said that he had every intent on fulfilling those words...at least in that brief moment. Ultimately Mugen would come to regret lashing out like this regardless of whether he suffered a beating or not. It was against his own principles to take his anger out on a fellow villager after all.

Age : 34 Posts : 590

A death threat, that was all Senji needed to really get excited and really want to get going. Studying the young man that had threatened Senji's life, though shorter than Senji he could tell that this would definitely be interesting if nothing else. Though in all reality he should have been thinking it over but with the lack of violence during his last mission, Senji was really jumping at the chance for some combat. Gauging the distance between him and the other shinobi, Senji brought his body lower to the ground placing his hands on the ground feeling the vibrations from the geysers near by yet that was not what Senji had in mind.

Digging his fingers into the ground Senji created firm handles out of the holes he had created, he already knew that what he was doing was leaving him open for any attack. Yet he knew that the boy would not attack him without reason since he was a village shinobi. Thus using his increased strength Senji launched himself using the grips that he had created as a focal point of the strength. He was moving towards the young man faster than he would normally have gone but what was next was what would begin the battle ultimately.

Forming the required handsigns senji quickly created the required jutsu. "Chakra Kyuuin Jutsu." He whispered as his right hand began to glow a sickly green that matched his personality. Now close enough Senji first lead off his attack with a left hook towards his opponents face yet at the same time came in from below with his right hand aimed at his opponents kidneys. It was not much of an attack but even if his opponent noticed one Senji doubted that he would be able to block both attacks at once.

Spoiler:

Age : 33 Posts : 718

Were Mugen true to his heart he would have apologized for his rudeness. Such an outburst was unlike him and the boy shuddered a bit afterwards as his body recoiled in rejection. It was as if the vessel for his soul was in disgust at how he would betray himself like that. He closed his eyes with such brevity that it could have been mistaken for a blink. But that action was Mugen re-finding himself as his body took in a single but vital breath. When the Genin's eyes opened again the facade behind is threat crumbled as he did not truly wish to take a life. Those open eyes would see the result of his empty provocation in the form of a sudden rushing attack from his fellow shinobi. While his killing intent had shattered, Mugen's focus remained firm as his clear eyes analyzed the oncoming opponent.

The Kousen didn't make a move as Senji knelt down and made a handgrip for himself using the stone platform beneath them for leverage. The resulting approach was indeed fearsome and quick but Mugen only took a single step backwards. He intended to take the full force of the attack head on. Normally Mugen would run, however he felt this would serve as fine punishment for having insulted a stranger. He would plan on taking the hit, but when he saw his opponent using handsigns Mugen knew simply letting a blow land was not the wisest decision. The genin reacted defensively moving one hand behind his back only for it to emerge once more with a kunai in hand that possessed a chain leading back behind Mugen. The shinobi knife was held in a reverse grip and Mugen rose it defensively in the path of the obvious punch laced in chakra. He would let his attacker choose whether or not to halt the strike or ruin their hand on the blade. However his focus on the glowing green strike made dodging the punch coming from the outside a futile effort due to the close proximity. He was already stepping back to retreat anyways but this would only serve to create a perfect scenario for Senji's fist. Mugen would be getting his initial wish after all! The hook would clip Mugen right on the chin racking his read into a violent shake. 'I deserved that...' Mugen would mentally note as he forced himself to maintain consciousness. His back steps would land on unsteady legs for a brief moment as Mugen's vision blurred and his sense of balance wavered. Yet he knew that he needed to keep moving and shook the shell shock off while backing up further.

"Sorry, I was in a bad mood. I don't want to kill you...but I could use a chance to blow off some steam..." As if on cue, nearby geysers erupted blanketing the area in slightly denser mist for but a moment. "I take it you don't mind continuing." Mugen asked as he brought the Kunai to his mouth freeing both his hands up to perform a string of three hand signs before holding his palm face up as he stepped back again hoping the grin on Senji's face meant he was going to chase after his target at full speed lest Mugen disappear into the foggy mists. Suiton and Raiton would merge to form a series of small thunderclouds covered in electrical charges. Five clouds in total were created one after the other and each was about the size of the hand that spawned them. Each of these five fist shaped thunder clouds would float about a meter forwards from where Mugen created them. He moved his hands in a circle so the clouds would cover and approach from almost any angle. Only the center would be clear if Senji wanted to charge straight in. If he didn't take the bait and chose to flank off to the side then that would be fine too. Mugen would halt his back stepping after this jutsu and wait to see what his opponents reaction was.

Spoiler:

Age : 34 Posts : 590

If Senji had not been paying attention he would have completely missed the blade coming towards his right hand, thus twisting his whole body to the left he put more into the punch aimed at his opponents face. Yet even with all the strength he put into it he only clipped his chin yet that was still enough to send his opponents head reeling slightly. Yet that was enough to excite Senji all the more, he had landed a hit on his opponent and that was enough to almost bring him to ecstasy. The smile on his face seemed to grow wider as his opponent made moves back to avoid a follow up attack.

It was at this moment Senji started to move towards the young shinobi again but he did not miss the clouds beginning to form above him. Quickly dispelling the jutsu on his right hand and reaching into his weapons pouch he pulled out a single shuriken and threw it right towards his opponent. Senji however did not throw the weapon to kill him but simply surprise him for stored in the hole of the shuriken was a single smoke pellet. So even if the shinobi blocked it or even if he attempted to dodge the pellet would ultimately explode distracting him. Yet Senji knew that there would have to be more to really get the game going, Senji threw the last two smoke pellets on the ground hiding him from his opponent.

Now in the cover of smoke Senji began forming the required handseal required Senji released the jutsu."Bunshin no Jutsu." He whispered as five clones appeared around him. It was perfect as the smoke began to clear Senji and one of the clones took to the right while two others took to the left while the last two went straight for him. Senji was unsure if he would fall for it yet he knew that this was getting to be fun. At that moment Senji and clones all began converging on the young shinobi giving each enough space so as not to be blasted together. "I'm coming for you pretty boy!" Yelled Senji and clones all at once.

Spoiler:

Age : 33 Posts : 718

Mugen was feeling the damage of the first blow as his vision still wouldn't focus and it was all he could to keep his legs from collapsing beneath him. But with his Ranton shield up he was able to stop moving and focus on recovering. A deep breath of air filled the boys lungs before exhaling as he grasped the chained Kunai in his left hand. The benefit of making his clouds form a circle paid off as it left him expecting any attack from the front to come through the center. Even with his sight blurred he could still glimpse the movements of his opponent throwing something. Mugen's hand would swipe through the air with expert timing to deflect the shuriken with his kunai. The resulting burst of smoke would serve to be a blessing in disguise. Mugen carried his own smoke bombs and the art of fighting under cover of smoke was one of his primary fighting tactics. Of course, even he was not immune to the initial panic caused by the unexpected plume of smoke. His first reaction was to shut his eyes and pray the cloud was not poison or makeshift powder meant for reducing vision. Being blinded was the last thing the Genin needed!

As Senji threw his next couple smoke pellets out Mugen made his next reaction to reach down with his free hand to obtain his own view blocking smokescreen. His right hand retrieved two dark balls from his ninja tool pouch and dropped one at his feet while tossing the other 3 meters towards Senji. These spheres would begin spraying a deep purple mist so dark it almost appeared black. Unlike Senji's pellets, this mist would linger and billow outwards to cover a three meter radius from their origin. This effective obscuring of vision would only cost Mugen a few seconds leaving Senji and his clones to find that their smoke cloud only gives way to an ominous looking jail of purple mist. It wouldn't really have any power to hold them in place, but hopefully it would make Mugen's foes hesitate.

Immediately following the toss of mist bombs, Mugen would toss the kunai over his shoulder letting the chain catch against his chest so the weapon falls against his back. Now the weapon was conveniently held in place freeing both his hands to make a hand sign of his own. 'Kumogakure no Jutsu' he mentally said the name of the village signature jutsu. Now that both he and his opponent were blinded by purple mist, Mugen would summon a large cloud to envelope the battlefield. Should Senji's clone's leave the mist Mugen would not sense their presence as they are just illusions and thus do not interact with the cloud. However the moment Senji himself left the mists and came in contact with Mugen's cloud, the Kousen would be aware of his opponent's position. Mugen then crouched down to his knees and began takes slow steps backwards and to the right. He was trying to minimize his size as a target for random attacks while also ensuring he wasn't still standing in the last place his target saw him. He would wait until signs of a target were detected by the cloud before acting again.

((I'm ending my post prematurely because I've introduced a new factor into the scenario and I'm not sure if you would want Senji to still act the same way now that these mists and clouds are around. Please start your next post from the perspective that the smoke clears only for you to be surrounded by purple mist. If you still want to make the same attack feel free~ Sorry if this is an inconvenience but I don't want to assume you still make the same attack.))

Spoiler:

Age : 34 Posts : 590

Senji continued his charge even considering the smoke following behind one of his clones he would have kept going had his clone not exploded in a puff of smoke. Performing a backflip Senji moved back unknown of the attack yet he knew that anything hiding would be revealed within a few moments. Performing the required handseals."Raitoningu no Kenshutsu." Senji thought as the pulse of lighting it did not take long before he felt the jutsu above him and the shinobi hiding not that far away. Smiling Senji enjoyed how the little boy was trying to hide from him but he knew that it was pointless.

Reaching into his weapons pouch Senji pulled out several kunai tying the few exploding notes to them he grinned. Holding them tight in his hands Senji jumped performing a perfect back flip but before he could hit the ground a geyser located right below him shot straight up. Using Suimen Hokou no Waza Senji lauched straight into the air and flying right over his opponents jutsu Senji smiled down at the dome that was the cursed jutsu that would have given him a shock. Releasing another pulse of lighting into the area Senji felt his opponent once again on the ground. Gripping the kunai Senji threw them right at the spot he had felt his opponent. Waiting until he was sure they were close enough Senji placed his hands together creating the required handseal. A cloud of smoke blasted up out of the middle of the jutsu his opponent hand created.

Landing on the ground Senji pulled a single kunai out waiting for whatever could possible come flying at him or his opponent coming at him to do him harm. Taking in a deep breath Senji let out a sigh. "God I love the smell of sulfur in the morning."

Spoiler:

Age : 33 Posts : 718

From Mugen's point of view there was a nerve wracking pressure. An anxiety that made it impossible for him to really fight back. Up till now he'd only been on defense due to this overwhelming sensation that made his palms sweat and his chest tighten...he knew that he was in the wrong. If Senji wanted a fight then there wasn't really a problem. But because of the way Mugen instigated it, he had betrayed his own personal "self" by threatening another villager. 'What's that about serving the Raikage!?' Mugen would mentally mock his own dream before continuing to silently berate himself further, 'How could I ever do that when I let my stress out on my comrades?' The genin was beating himself up, but this acceptance and realization was necessary. For now he had a resolved goal. Each step he'd taken in this fight so far was a reaction to an attacker that he himself had provoked, but now the young Kousen had a purpose. He would run away for now as Senji seemed all too eager to draw some blood despite them both being from the same village. Knowing the consequences of hurting an ally all too well, Mugen finally set himself the priority of escaping the conflict without either of them getting hurt.

With his mind now set on a task, Mugen was able to kindle a resolve that was now reflected in his crimson eyes as he listened carefully for any sounds since Senji had yet to be sensed in Mugen's cloud. But all he could hear was the hissing of nearby geysers and the pattering of the sprayed water falling back onto hard stone. Did this mean he had a way to slip by Kumogakure no Jutsu undetected? As Mugen pondered this, a tingle washed over his body sending a chill down his spine. The sensation was familiar to Mugen as the side effects of a jutsu that he himself owned, Lightning Detection. While that may have been suspicious, Mugen had no way of knowing for sure.

Following Senji's detection skill, the Ranton clouds Mugen created would fade away however the mist bombs that concealed them would linger. Senji would not learn that the clouds had vanished until his next use of the lightning based sensory jutsu. As the Kiyomasa prepared his shinobi tools with explosive tags, Mugen decided to enact his escape. As he saw things no immediate attack came following the shiver he felt, so he actually made a false assumption that it was not the effect of an enemy jutsu. However what he DID know is that his ranton defense wall was gone and it would not be long before his opponent knew this. In addition, his opponent had yet to be detected by his cloud technique. Combined with the fact that his opponent wasn't really making any sounds that he could hear from there, this all made him believe that Senji was simply being cautious and waiting for the mists to clear.

Even if he was wrong, Mugen ended up making the right decision. With his opponent's movements "sealed" through caution and Mugen's objective to flee now set; it was clear what he should do now. RUN! So run Mugen did. The moment he made the decision he turned a 180 by pivoting his heels military style whilst kneeling. From this position his contracted leg muscles flexed and Mugen leaned his body weight forward only to pounce away in a forward leap that utilized all of his leg strength. Just as Senji began riding his jet stream of scalding hot water(boy that must have hurt!) Mugen's dive would take him just out of 5ms from his opponent. The Kousen boy would land with a roll which morphed into a running sprint away from Senji. His transition from roll to run was a bit sloppy as he still had too much speed from his leap, so he stumbled on the first two steps. However after that it was pedal to the metal for the next three minutes.

Because Mugen was out of range to be detected by Senji's second jutsu he might have chosen to refrain from throwing the explosive kunai. After all, why attack a target you can't see? But even if he did, the blast wouldn't even cause Mugen to look back. His cloud extended 10 meters but it wasn't long before he exited the concentrated mist into a thinner mist that allowed for visibility of about 15 meters. It wasn't perfect but at least Mugen could see where he was stepping and his sprint held even more confidence. He would keep running until he was no longer near The Great Geyser only to collapse near a river exhausted and covered in sweat. For the first 10 minutes he ran to ensure Senji did not catch up. The next 3 hours were ran with tears streaming down Mugen's face as he struggled with the blow to his pride. Not because he ran, but because he had let himself lose sight of what he thought was important.

Mugen would bathe in the river and not return to the village until after sundown. The scolding Mugen received for such an irresponsibly act was initially harsh, but when the Jounin on watch saw the look on Mugen's face it became more like a reminder of the rules. It was clear that he'd already gone through something difficult just from the weary gaze he held without really looking at anyone or thing in particular. He almost seemed dead on his feet until finally his consciousness left him. Somehow his body managed to make it back to his clan home as he would later wake up face down on his own futon. After waking up Mugen felt sore and dehydrated, but the only thing on his mind was finding the shinobi he'd insulted. Seeking him out might be asking for another fight, but that was never something Mugen shrunk from. Getting a chance to apologize would be worth taking a punch or two.

[Exit]

Spoiler:

Age : 34 Posts : 590

As the smoke began to clear the area Senji saw that his opponent was no longer there. This only caused Senji to swear at himself for letting his opponent get away from him. He could not forgive himself for letting him go without a chance to do any damage besides a clip the his chin. Walking over the area where his paper bombs had exploded he began to survey the area just to be sure that he was really gone which only proved to piss him off more to show that there was no proof of the shinobi. Kicking a loose rock with all his strength Senji swore all the more at himself for being careless.

Making his way he started heading for his families hot spring, "Maybe after a good soaking I can calm down a bit from this embarrassing moment." Senji thought making his way through the exploding geysers. Yet even with that thought it was not entirely sure that would work out. He had screwed up the last mission he had let an opponent get away from him before he could real do any form of real damage. Yet even as he approached the building he felt that maybe it was for the best last thing he needed was trouble for mortally wounding someone of the same village.

Stepping into the building he gave the manager a nod and made his way into the bathing area where he would have time to relax his tense muscles. After slipping his clothes off Senji slid right into the hot spring, letting out a relaxed sigh he began running over everything that he had done in just the last couple hours and how he could have gone wrong. Running over his combat moments it did not take him long to discover where he had gone wrong. It was when he was tying the explosive notes to the kunai it had left his opponent enough time to slip away. With that thought Senji began running over plans to fix his little problem with his combat.
[EXIT]