Blessed is the Meager [Open - Anyone can join]

[Tsukino Nanami]

</B>Chapter 9: Gates of Hell<B>Act 4: The Fallen Tower of Babylon

The Crumbling of Time

Slowly walking through the wreckage of the once prominent and prosperous Village Hidden in the Sand, Nanami stepped cautiously over the rubble, taking care to watch her footfalls to not pierce her feet upon a rusted nail or other protruding objects that could cause her bodily harm. Taking a step into directions unknown, the woman came to a stop for a moment to survey the area. There was no wind to carry her footsteps or breathe life into her lungs. This place reeked of death and mayhem. This place didn't crumble many years ago. No. Like the rest of this heartbreaking village, it had incurred a tragedy that happened quite recently. Perhaps they were still undergoing a tragic fall; much in the same fashion that Kirigakure and Konohagakure have.

Stepping forward, the woman turned her eyes down to observe the ground only to find something in the rubble. Turning her head slightly, she noticed a foot sticking out of the rubble. Frantically, the woman began throwing the debris off of the owner of the leg only to find a body underneath. The body was indiscernible due to the fallen debris. The person's body was smashed into a graphic display. Placing her left hand over her mouth, she turned away. A life stolen from this tragic event. The only thing Nanami could think of is 'why'. The same word that plagued her since the fall of her beloved home of Kirigakure; her Eden. No matter who it is, they do not deserve to die in this kind of manner. Grabbing the destroyed human by it's leg, she dragged the body from the rubble onto flat ground.

Moments later, Nanami could be seen sitting directly next to a make-shift grave with the headstone being a pile of rocks. Her fingers were bleeding and blackened from the dirt and decay of the village interior. Standing up from her perch, Nanami turned and looked over the pitiful grave she had to dig with her bare hands. She has buried many people in the past in this same manner, but it doesn't equate to the number of people she was forced to kill; those who were forced to be put in the ground in unmarked graves such as this one. Perhaps burying people is her way of repenting for her own sins. Clasping her bleeding and soiled hands together, Nanami offered the individual she just buried a prayer. This wasn't just a prayer for the person she buried, but for all of those people who died due to chaos or even the 'wrath of the gods' as the Isaki Clan so-quaintly stated.

After a silent prayer was given to this person and to all people that suffered from similar fates, Nanami turned her head towards the direction she originally walked. As she walked towards the epicenter of this disaster, Nanami began to ponder to herself whether she should abandon the Isaki Clan's selfish behavior and attempt to assist Sunagakure to return to the road of recovery. She does, however, aspire to become a hero -- as per her punishment and repentance for her work with SCAR and for the sins she has committed against the ones she loved. It was they that she wounded the most and there was no way she could apologize for all of the horrible things she did to them. No, when the time comes, she must accept her fate by her sister's hands.

Upon reaching visual range of the epicenter, she noticed the remains of a tower. Perhaps this was similar to other villages having their government center within a tower. If that's the case, then that means that perhaps this was an attack set forth by one or more individuals. Were the motives political? Social? Ethical? Or were these motives borne of mayhem and the wish to destroy? Nanami may never know. Her heart grew heavy, knowing that the lives lost in this tragedy remained unnamed and the bodies missing like the one she found. A flood of empathy washed over her soul, causing tears to form in her eyes. Falling to her knees, the woman sobbed into her dirt-stained hands, crying for those many that died here. The very fact that more people died reminded her of her home and what happened to it.

"So.. Babel has fallen.."

[Topic Entered]
[MFT: 718 words]
[Feel free to enter ]

 

[Akako]

[col]Her own curiosity had led her here. The ruin of the Kazekage Tower. Once a great structure that had endured the ages only to be destroyed by man's malice. She was curious. The place was a curiosity. And nobody had stopped her, anyway. So she saw no wrong in what she was doing. She was not hurting anybody... the dead could not feel (a sentiment she would later regret, when... if she learns of her capacity as a Horseman).

Hearing of the terrorists activities from the students at the academy and encountering them first hand had made it so that the doctor was invested in the current events. Not personally invested, she hoped, anyway. But it was a matter of principle and of morality. Mortality. If she were to stay here for a while, it would be better to remove unsavoury elements if possible.

A cheery hum permeated the air, so disconnected from the horrifying surroundings. She didn't bother hiding the pitter patter of her Mary Janes, thinking she was alone for the time being. Fountain pen in one hand and a notebook in the other, she strolled down a partly demolished walkway.

Hopefully, they would not mind if she went... ah, sightseeing. If she found any anomalies, any further bombs, any undiscovered bodies, then she would be doing them a public service by reporting it. The possibility of finding a patient trapped in here for her to find was slim to none though. But, just in case, one of the shinobi with their can do, don't die attitude is still trapped somewhere, then her arrival would be fortunate and fortuitous.

Then she heard sobbing.

Now, that made the doctor stop in her tracks. Certainly, she didn't believe in ghosts. Even that would be cheating by shinobi standards. So, she was greatly relieved when she saw it was a living, breathing person crying their eyes out in the dust.

Shifting from one foot to the other, she pushed her glasses up. "And another angel, a second one, followed saying: 'Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great. She who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality'... Revelation 14:8. Did not know residents of Suna adhered or even knew of the Christian bible. I apologize if I have intruded," she cleared her throat.

Of course, being the oddball that she was, she probably didn't even realized that it would have been better if she were to stay quiet.
|</FONTFACE>[legend="[b]Out of Character Notes[/b]"]

• Long time no RP, Renny.
  
  Sorry if I can't always match your word count.

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[Tsukino Nanami]

</B>Chapter 9: Gates of Hell<B>Act 4: The Fallen Tower of Babylon

Now the whole world had one language and a common speech.
As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.

They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.”
They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar.
Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves;
otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building.
The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this,
then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.
Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth,
and they stopped building the city.
That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world.
From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.
Genesis 11: 3 - 8​

Sniffling and wiping her face, the woman rubbed the dirt and blood stained hands upon her face, leaving a dark war-paint like appearance over her visage. Her fingers appeared cracked, nails were broken and dirtied from digging the grave barehanded, the woman turned to notice a red-headed woman in glasses and strange clothing approach her. Wiping her nose with the back of her left hand, the woman placed her hands upon the ground and pushed her way up to her feet, dusting herself off. The only thing that seemed untouched by blood or dirt was the ribbon she wore in her hair. To some, the ribbon may appear similar to cat-ears while others may just see a black ribbon. Regardless, it wasn't a very defining feature of the woman. She shook her head and wiped her eyes with the black armlet upon her left arm, smudging the dirt and blood combination. She itched from the dry weather of the outside world and her throat tore at her with every word she let out due to dehydration.

She carelessly let out too many tears, expending what little precious water she had left in her system. "Babylon hasn't fallen. These people are doing something that my people couldn't," she said as she turned her head back to look at the remaining base of the tower. "These people are fighting back. Fighting to keep Babylon. Unlike Eden, these people plan on staying or die trying," she said. Eden was in reference to Kirigakure. Everyone was banished from Kirigakure, not able to return because of a god's wrath? What pathetic excuse is that?

"Can you believe it? We were thrown out of Eden because of the wrath of god," she said with a little laugh. She rubbed her eyes once more, clearing out what little remaining tears she had left. She missed her home with all of her heart, but the fact that 'the gods' weren't angry, she wouldn't be allowed back in. "Eden froze over," she said calmly after cleaning her eyes and looking Ms. Glasses in the eyes with a tragic smile upon her face. She was homesick, that much is apparent. It's been a long time since she had a place she could call home. She doesn't have a house that she could live in nor does she consider anyone alive family. The Isaki aren't her family, they are just people who aren't paying her for her services. She could use a little bit of money, she does, after all, require the purchase of a couple bras.

"I wouldn't worry about the end of days," the woman stated in reference to the woman's passage. "~She~ hasn't come yet," she said in reference to the 'Whore of Babylon'. However, with all biblical reference set aside, Nanami turned to look back towards the.... other Nanami and offered a weak smile to the woman. Certainly, the appearance of another person doesn't stop the fact that the tragedy of this event caused her to burst into tears. That much hasn't changed. She can't show a weak side of herself to a stranger. No. She doesn't know if this woman is quite friend or foe yet, though she looks even weaker than Mr. Smartass does. But it's the dorky ones you need to be afraid of, right?

"What are you doing here anyway?" she asked. She didn't know why the glasses approached her. She remained cautious considering that a place out in the middle of nowhere, a place that was deemed abandoned and could possibly be a Superfund site, depending on what was used to down the tower. It was mighty suspicious that someone would approach her alone in the middle of nowhere, so she kept her guard up without actually showing such. "This is quite the disastrous area," she said as she pointed one of her tore up hands in the direction behind them towards a small grave; the one she dug up. She didn't require any words further to explain that. "This isn't exactly a place for normal people to come to."

[OOC: I know right! I hope we RP more often!
And don't worry about matching my word count. As long as you don't post 50 word responses, everything will be fine
]

 

[Akako]

[col]The other Nanami was attractive, compared to a plain Jane like herself, despite the dirt and blood that caked her skin and clothes. All the doctor saw was, of course, how unhygienic her current status was. She was fighting the urge to offer the woman a wet wipe or rubbing alcohol. At the very least, she managed not to wrinkle her nose. She had been often told that that was a rude thing for her to do. So, she refrained.

Ah, right. Babel and Babylon were different. She didn't mind being corrected about her bible passages. Theology had been a fleeting fancy of hers and, without an eidetic memory, she could hardly be expected to get everything correct. Still, all these talk of Babel and Babylon, Eden and gods made her wish she retained a bit more. She did not hope to insult someone's religion by mistake. Thankfully, the woman doesn't seem offended.

It didn't seem that the woman was talking of the bible strictly, perse, anyway. As far as she could infer, Babel was this tower and Babylon was Sunagakure. "I suppose it hasn't," she hummed with a nod.

And Eden? "Ah. You must have come from Kirigakure. Babylon, Sand. Eden, Mist." She spoke of the Great Freeze. And she had insinuated that she did not belong here, calling the citizens of Sunagakure as these people.

But where was she?

The woman's talk of religion and of places and of natural disasters had derailed her train of thought.

"Idle curiosity. That is why I'm here. Also, helping," she said with a shrug. Not that anyone really asked for her help. And she wasn't being paid to do this.

She walked over to the improvised graveyard the woman had been crying over and knelt beside it. The doctor's eyes grazed over the unmarked stone, trying to look for any sign of who had been buried here. To no avail. "Your work? Really shouldn't. Relatives would be looking for them soon enough. Closure. Burying bodies would just complicate things," she informed her bluntly.

"Mizushima Nanami."|</FONTFACE>[legend="[b]Out of Character Notes[/b]"]

• Brunette, not a ginger.

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[Tsukino Nanami]

</B>Chapter 9: Gates of Hell<B>Act 4: The Fallen Tower of Babylon​

"Yes, I am from Kirigakure," she replied. The woman that she was speaking with is sharper than she appeared. Perhaps with her weak appearance, her brain-power makes up for her lack of physical strength. She deduced that Babylon was indeed Wind Country and that Eden was indeed the Water Country. Now Nanami wondered, if she could deduce what Megiddo, Second Eden, and Guph were. But those remained unspoken for the time being. "Yes, I am from Kirigakure," she repeated only to continue with. "I've seen the village die. You don't happen to know that feeling, would you?" she asked the one wearing the thick-framed glasses.

The woman noted she was here out of idle curiosity. Morbid curiosity sounded more proper in this situation. Nanami was here to look over the wreckage, comparing the two tragedies with one another. Yes, that may be considered quite morbid in it's own respect, but misery certainly does love company. However, it's the part where the woman said she was helping that piqued at her interest. She wanted to find a way to help this village - being that it's better than gallivanting with the motley crew that ran with the Isaki clan. Perhaps she has finally found her calling? Maybe, maybe not. She needed information on why her village fell. Once she gathered that information, then she can move on to other things.

Watching as the glasses walked towards the grave with a nod to her initial question. It doesn't matter if the person was buried or not, at least they were given final rites, even after they already passed on. "It doesn't matter. The person was smashed beyond recognition. There was no face nor much for the body. By the time the village brings a crew to come looking for survivors or bodies, the body would have decomposed anyway," she stated. It might have been grim, but it was most likely the truth of the matter. The village had more important things to deal with now than perform final rites to the fallen denizens of the village. The woman then introduced herself as Mizushima Nanami.

Great. Let the confusion begin. The woman's lip tugged a bit upon hearing the person's given name. The lip didn't tug into a grin, but more into a disappointed look. A 'Really?' look was written across her face before standing up and dusting herself off. "Tsukino Nanami. I'm here with a group of idiots; one in need of medication. What better place to take them to than a bar, right?" she said in response to the medical ninja that took them to the bar in place of a medical facility to where she had the pleasure of meeting Mrs Drunkard and Mr Smartass.

Suddenly, from next to the grave, the earth began to shift and move before a faceless creature popped out, sitting straight up.

"Would you ladies be kind and keep it down? I've been trying to sleep for a while. The person you put next to me was nudging me in their sleep, which woke me up."
The man was creepy. Pale white with no discernible face. It spoke elegantly and politely as it busted through the earth. It had a strange, foreign accent. It stood up on it's own two feet, standing at just over 8 feet tall upon stilt like legs. The dirt from the ground continued to fall from the man's body and onto the ground.

"My word, how impolite of me. My name is...." the thing said before being cut-off as static filled the air in place of it's name. Strange, how it spoke. It didn't appear to have a mouth.

[sorry for the wait :/]
[Marked]

 

[Akako]

[col]The woman prided herself with having the power of common sense... which, nowadays, isn't really so common. But, she didn't claim herself to be some sort of analytical, genius detective outside of medical diagnoses.

So she didn't bat an eyelash when she was told to be correct: the shinobi was from Kirigakure, no doubt a wandering shinobi too. From what she had gathered, most of the shinobi from the village that once was had either chosen to be nomads or mercenaries. Very few chose to pledge allegiance to the other shinobi villages.

"Other ways to deduce identity. Clothes, for one. Tissue samples, another. But what's done is done," she said with a small shrug.

When the other introduced herself as Tsukino Nanami, the doctor's lips tugged as well. Although, unlike the other's disappointed look, hers was a wry grin. "It's quite a common name, isn't it? Dreadful name too. Seven Seas. Seven Beauties. Seven Fruits. Seven Lives. Depending on how yours is written."

As a resident of Hashima Island, most would assume hers meant Seven Seas.

They would assume wrong.

Her griping about their names would be forgotten though, at the mention of a man in need of medication at a bar. Those were two words, in one sentence, that she didn't like the sound of. "What sort of doctor would allow a patient into a bar an-" she started. Only to be interrupted. Again.

It seemed she would not be allowed to voice out her train of thoughts, at least complete ones, around this other Nanami.

She stared at the faceless one to rise from the ground. Blinked once. Twice. Three times. Then continued staring, speechless.

Five. No. Four. Four left. The two were one. Four. Four. 四 (Shi).</I>

四​

四​

死​

死 (Shi<I>). Death.

The fi- four of them were surrounded by death. Yet they were surrounded by life. Life brought back to the dead. It was all unnatural, unholy. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong! Yet it felt right. Natural. This was how they were supposed to be. No death. Yet no life. Forever being. Foreve-

The doctor blinked out of her stupor when the thing... man started to emit static. Like a broken television. Or a broken radio. Emitting sound when there was nothing to show for it so that whatever was inside only could make white noise. It didn't quite register (or matter) with her how much the thing towered menacingly over her. All that matter was how wrong, how right, its presence felt.

"...Apologies," she spoke, when she finally found her mouth. She had a mouth, after all, unlike him. And it would be rather silly if she couldn't speak when he could without one. "Did not mean to wake you up. Will move away if it helps and if you wish. But too much sleep would be unhealthy."
|</FONTFACE>[legend="[b]Out of Character Notes[/b]"]

• It's fine. We get busy.
  
  Another personal plot trigger though. Ehhh.

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[Tsukino Nanami]

</B>Chapter 9: Gates of Hell<B>Act 4: The Fallen Tower of Babylon​

"Oh, don't mind me, ladies," the man said as he put his hands together before opening them, displaying a couple of tiny top-hats, too small to properly fit on the head. They were, however, equipped with hairpins so women could wear it discretely. "I offer you these," the man said as he reached his long, bony hands towards the women. The man seemed friendly enough. Holding his other hand out, a large black top-hat appeared in his hand with a flick of the wrist, placing it upon his faceless, hairless head.

"I suppose, on the contrary, I should thank you ladies. I am late for my next shipment," he said before snapping his fingers again, causing a horse-drawn carriage with an extravagant emblem on the side of the cart. The cart said "Snake Oil" on it in stylized letters. The horse pulling the carriage seemed as gaunt and unnerving to look at as the strange man, whom the women missed on his name due to the static sound. Regardless of if the women took the hats or not, the man curled his fingers up, balling his hand into a fist. He used that hand to grab the large top-hat and tip it to the women.

"Thank you, dear ladies. But I shall be going now. Don't mind the one you buried, she tells lies and she doesn't have a family. But, she was with child. Anyway, cheerio!" the man stated before walking onto the horse-drawn carriage and flicks the reins, causing the gaunt horse to huff and puff before moving on.

---

Blinking as the man addressed himself as static, she turned and looked towards the other Nanami. She wasn't terrified of the large man that just unearthed himself, but she doesn't particularly trust him. The fact that his name was covered by static was quite unsettling. There was nothing around to produce the static, yet it was produced anyhow. Taking a hat, the woman took a step back afterward, having a rather large collection of hats now. She has this cute little top-hat as well as a pirate hat from the ship that Tetsu arranged for the group. She's collecting clothing that she can't correctly carry.

After the man scuttled off, she blinked a bit. She had a strange feeling that this wasn't the last time that 'thing' would crop up. At least it wasn't a talking horse. At least that much is fair. Her thoughts returned back to reality only to look back to Mizushima Nanami and turned her head towards the inner-city of Sunagakure. "A red-haired one that allowed us entrance into this place," she mentioned before turning her head back towards the crumbled remains of Sunagakure's kage tower. Her hand balled into a tight fist for a moment. This was the point of no return.

"If you think something like this is atrocious, there is a place where the people have forgotten how to fight back. A place racked in suffering and oppression," Nanami stated, referring to the Fire Country. "A place where the weak have no voice and only the rich and powerful are given the luxuries and freedoms as everyone else," she stated before wiping the remains of her tears from her eyes with her wrists. She would still be crying if that strange creature didn't appear from the ground. "I could use your help freeing them from that oppression," she said offering the other Nanami a small smile. She doesn't smile much, so when she does it's a special occasion. This was the point where she has had enough of the oppressive state the world was in and decided to take action.

"I would love to rid the world of all of it's ails," she said once more taking a moment to glance at the fallen tower. "And to atone for my own sins."

 

[Akako]

[col]Between a faceless man rising from the ground and items being conjured out of thin air, it is the latter that throws the doctor off. Funny, considering item summoning was quite an easy and common feat among shinobi. Perhaps it was the absurdity of the items procured: tiny top hats of no real use and a horse drawn carriage that makes its all bizarre.

"...O... kay."

The word is drawn out, slow and unsure. Her blink, an action she had done a lot since arriving in Sunagakure, was just as slow and unsure.

Nonetheless, she had accepted the headgear with a nod of thanks. Someone once said that top hats were fitting of any occasion. Although she did not subscribe to the same belief or even remember who had said it, the saying seemed fitting right now. Top hats were a fitting thing to have in the case of faceless, static named men, rising from the depths of the earth and riding off into the sunset by a skeleton horse pulled carriage in order to sell snake oil of all things.

A part of her wanted to shout after him. Selling snake oil as a cure all was the biggest scam in this day and age. And it was an insult to doctors and healers everywhere. But another part of her couldn't bother. Anyone who could be fooled by such a thing were stupid enough that they shouldn't reproduce.

The odd encounter was set aside for now, in favour of the relatively sane encounter with the other woman who shared names with her.

She listened to Tsukino speak of the world's tales of woes. It was a word filled with cruelty and corruption. A dog eat dog world, if you would. And, boy, wasn't Mizushima familiar with that. Her own home, no matter how well they hid it with its quaint facade, was a result of the horrors of humanity.

The doctor had made her clinic as safe a haven as possible to the sick and needy. She had taught her doctors, her nurses, any who would help, to protect what was good and right. And they had done her well in doing just that in her absence. But, if there were places where there were no Mizushima Nanami's and Tsukino Nanami's existed, she shuddered at the thought.

"That's a big thing to ask of someone whom you've just met. How do you know I can be trusted with such a task?"|</FONTFACE>[legend="[b]Out of Character Notes[/b]"]

• That GIF gives me a headache.

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[Tsukino Nanami]

</B>Chapter 9: Gates of Hell<B>Act 4: The Fallen Tower of Babylon​

A smirk came from her face as the woman with the same name as she showed distrust. It was to be expected; they did just meet for the first time, after all. Meeting in a place filled with death and a grim locale where those that were buried here would soon be forgotten through time. A strange place for two individuals to meet in the first place. So it doesn't surprise Tsukino Nanami, which we'll simply call Sparrow for differentiation between the two, that the woman didn't seem to believe that she wouldn't take the stranger to an alley and strip her of her clothing and money; leaving her dead in an alleyway only to be forgotten like these poor souls. The old Sparrow would have done something cruel as that if she was ordered to, but not the one trying to atone for her own sins.

Sparrow had to do a double-take for a moment, realizing that Nanami doubted her own abilities. Tilting her head to the side for a moment, Sparrow took a seat upon the rubble away from the make-shift burial site. She sat upon a tall rock and placed one of her feet up towards her hips and hugged that knee. "If I could walk the road towards redemption, I'm certain you would be a big help. We all have our flaws, but it shouldn't matter about if we can or cannot do it. It's trying to make this world a better place that counts, wouldn't you say?" she asked a question to the speckled one. Sparrow has killed so many more people than she has saved; all for the sake of one man and his longing for vengeance. Even if she wasn't in full control of herself at those times, she felt compelled to redeem herself.

If someone as weak as her, capable of being controlled simply by a couple words is capable of trying to redeem not only her sins but the sins of all humans (instead of simply killing herself to alleviate the pain), then anyone can be strong enough to perform mundane acts of humanity for one another. Even if the mundane act in this case is to free people enslaved by an oppressive power. "You'll never know unless you try, right?" she asked.

Suddenly, there was a strange shifting. On the direct opposite side of the grave that Nanami had created, something burst through the dirt. It was the same creature as before.

---

"Pardon me again, ladies. But I seemed to have misplaced the key to a box of mine," the creature said as it pulled it's arms out of the dirt to show a key in it's bony hands. "You ladies wouldn't happen to be interested in some snake oil, now would you?" the creature asked as it held it's other hand up and a bottle of snake-oil appeared in it's palm. The bottle looked small in comparison to the length of the man's fingertips. "You ladies did, after all, sign my contract," it said in reference to them taking the tiny hats.

"No, no, no. The contract has been signed so it isn't negotiable," the man argued pre-emptively before either of the women could. "So, would you like a bottle or 10?"

 

[Akako]

[col]It seemed that, for how well the other spoke of tales of woe, she too had her own sorrows to tell. Even, just for a second, as Tsukino opened up, Mizushima could spy a glimpse into her own sorry tale. There were things unsaid, that didn't need saying. Sins to atone for and good deeds to do. Or, at least, try to. It was all a bit too personal for the doctor's liking but she wasn't so tactless, or so cold, to deny her right to speak.

Still, to connect so personally with another was something she had done in a long time. And of all people to do so with, it had to be with a stranger in the midst of a mass graveyard. It felt nice for some reason. Even if it was... problematic.

The Doctor and the Sparrow.

It sounded a bit too poetic.

The woman studied the other closely. Her dark hair and gaunt look, in the light of the place, and bloodshot teary golden eyes detracted from her otherwise youthful appearance. She was skinny, tired, young and sad. "They were right. Sucker for lost causes. If you're serious about this, I'll help. Of course, that's only if your cause is as noble as you make it sound," she sighed with a shake of her head, although she said this mostly to herself. One whiff of corruption or deceit on Tsukino's part would turn this into a whole other ball game. "I wouldn't know what a small town doctor like me can do for you though. You'd be better off with a full fledged medic nin."

When she was in her twenties, she saw herself opening a local clinic to help out her fellow islanders. She had done just that. But she didn't exactly expect that she would be on a crusade to attempt any form of full on colonial liberation when she was already in her thirties.

She reached out her hand, in order to shake the girl's though when the ground had split open.

The doctor barely stopped herself from backhanding Mister No Face in her surprise.

"I signed no contract and I am not interested in your bottle of piss and ink," she hissed, uncharacteristically wondering what she had done to deserve this craziness.|</FONTFACE>[legend="[b]Out of Character Notes[/b]"]

• What the hell, Slender.

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[Tsukino Nanami]

</B>Chapter 9: Gates of Hell<B>Act 4: The Fallen Tower of Babylon​

"Oh my, isn't that just rude coming from someone that took one of my cute little hats," the creature said in a posh manner. Snapping it's fingers, it's appearance quickly change to that of an individual with a bag over his head and wearing a white suit and green trousers. Turning to look towards the two women, it waved towards the two of them for a moment. "I'll be seeing you two ladies later. A contract is a contract right?" the man said as a black hole appeared in the ground, only for the man to jump into the hole. After fully appearing inside of the hole, the hole seals up. It's as if the man grabbed donut-holes from Acme.

Underneath and between the two women, a bottle of the snake oil appears from the ground with the words "Free Sample" written upon them.

Blinking, Sparrow turned to look towards Nanami and shook her head. She looked bewildered, not knowing how to follow-up from the bizarre display that just happened. Snapping out of the strange trance of confusion, Sparrow looked back over to the doctor and smiled. Yes, even while her face is gunked up with dirt and blood, she is absolutely beautiful when she smiles. She's certain the same could be said about the Doctor if she did herself up a bit.

However, the Doctor was on-board with her plan to liberate the Fire Country.
[Mizushima Nanami has joined the 108 Stars of Destiny]

Besides, an adventure would do her well to break away from the Isaki clan and their ego-centric ideals and actions. Besides, she isn't getting paid for working with them, so why bother continuing with them? At the very least, she'll feel much better by doing something worth-while. Turning towards the Doctor, Sparrow extended her right (recessive) hand out to her. It was customary to use the right hand with these kind of greetings, right? "No worries, any help I can get would be phenomenal. I would have asked the medic from the bar or one of the fools that I arrived here with, but they are rather useless. I'm certain a doctor from a small town would be more than capable," she said with a confident smile upon her face.

"There are a few more people that I could probably recruit to take on a country. I assure you though, Doc, you won't be bored," she said with a bit of a chuckle. Indeed, liberating an entire country comes with the perk of not being bored; if anything, they would be over-worked.

"Oh, right. I have to ask you, Doc. You don't happen to have a place you're staying at, do you? I kinda want to take a shower."

[Sorry for the late reply. I was sick as all anything the last several days]

 

[Akako]

[col]She could feel a stress induced migraine building up and Mizushima had to grimace, rubbing the bridge of her nose. If they were going to be seeing that strange... man repeatedly, she'd probably need to supply a lot of pain pills for what might be their merry little band. Anyway, she ignored the free sample. Who knows what would happen if she acceptedthat?

"Happy to be of help," she smiled, grabbing the other Nanami's hand with her own. "Of course, I must inform you that I have a clinic back home on Hashima Island. I will continue monitoring and delegating tasks through messengers when we travel. So, I hope you don't mind that. I'll help other people... but I must still look out for mine as well."

Taking her hand back and strongly fighting the urge to sanitize it, she crossed her arms across her chest and tilted her head. "Might I suggest looking for honourable mercenaries... as rare as those are, and those with hero complexes if we are to start a small liberation army?" Of course, she was speaking half in jest and half in truth. If they were to get anywhere with such a task, recruitment would be a necessity and one would need to find the right kinds of people. One cannot liberate an entire nation on their own, no matter their skill.

Care would have to be given in spades when choosing. She doubted either of them came from money (unless Sparrow was hiding some secret fortune). So, mercenaries who were loyal to the coin and the coin alone would be out of the picture unless they promised some form of riches, rewards at the outcome. Good, pure hearts and those who would help for the sake of helping were... rare, in this day and age. The doctor herself was worried about finances, both her own and that of her clinic back home. But, she was a resourceful woman and she would find means to acquire yen on the side while on this philanthropic adventure.

"As for a shower... I'm not actually staying at any sort of hotel. One of the locals I've met during my stay here had advised I stay at their student academy. It's a free, safe roof over the head. Although, I'm sure they would have showers in the student's lockers there."
|</FONTFACE>[legend="[b]Out of Character Notes[/b]"]

• Sorry this took so long.
  
  Just a quick recreation of the old Suikoden II recruit box from memory... Not my best work.

[/legend]<FONTFACE fontface="monospace">[/col]

 

[Tsukino Nanami]

</B>Chapter 9: Gates of Hell<B>Act 4: The Fallen Tower of Babylon​

The first person to join her Liberation Army was a doctor. Good, the best way to keep an army healthy was to ensure there was a physician. Even if Nanami claims she wouldn't be much help, she is still leaps and bounds better than the alternative. While Sparrow had very limited medical knowledge for doing only emergency patches on the field, she didn't have access to actual medical jutsus, as much as she would have liked that.

"Honorable mercenaries, you say?" she asked. She only knew of one that flew into her head. A man named Tetsu seemed honorable and extremely loyal. The problem with attempting to recruit him would be to get him away from Osore and the rest of the Isaki clan. That seemed like an impossibility. Osore was an over-bearing individual who cared nothing for his compatriots, only the mission. While 'Zephyr' would have appreciated that sentiment, Tsukino Nanami didn't. Moving her hand up to the back of her head, her fingernails gently dug into the back of her scalp to think.

"I may know of one, but recruiting him will not be easy. He comes with baggage. A 7-foot-tall, vomiting, pile of armored baggage," the woman stated before clearing her throat. She wasn't fond of Osore. Perhaps it wasn't necessarily him that she isn't too fond of, but perhaps it wasn't the family as a whole that she was fond of. Their leader, Tenken, wasn't a very interesting individual nor did he even make arrangements on the payment. He only said 'You'll be paid well if you help out our family.' which didn't elude to anything. Again, she doesn't want money but information.

"Student academy, you say?" she asked. The thought of open showers kind of annoyed her. She was rather shy with her body (most of the time) and the fact that she had the potential to shower or bathe in front of other people sorta annoyed her. Curling her lip a bit, an idea came up into her mind.

"Hey, doc," she said as she pointed at her. "Since we're going to be fighting with each other," she said.

Trial by Fire
Battle Theme

"I want to see how you fair in a battle. Are you game?" she asked. She did want to test out her team member's capabilities, hence her testing out Naikishin's capabilities in combat. If she were to fight alongside them, then she needs to know what they are capable of. Does she feel sorry for challenging a doctor to a battle? Absolutely not. They are usually more than capable enough to fight and are actually probably scarier than most others.

---
[Calling B-Mod]
[Mizushima Nanami has agreed to let me mod this battle.]

[Battle Conditions]:
Cover: Moderate
Lighting: DArk

[Special Conditions]:
5 Round Max
All actions stop once someone is KO. (No death)
Since I am also the mod, do not send me actions until after I posted that I have made actions. I will post my own actions in the mod-sheet and then you get the A-OK to send your actions. If you are cool with this, please post in a reply agreeing to said conditions.

 

[Akako]

[col]She wasn't aware that she would be the other Nanami's first recruit. It did not matter, however. It just meant they were prepared for medical emergencies in advanced. Whether there were two, three or a couple of dozen of them, it was her duty as a doctor to make sure her patients were in tiptop shape and her duty as a mercenary to see through a job.

Still, to know of another possible recruit was heartening. Sort of. She wasn't quite emotionally invested in the endeavour just yet. Could you blame her? As far as she was concerned at the moment, this was a philanthropic job she was crazy enough to accept. The doctor was quite sure she hadn't done this entirely out of the goodness of her heart.

"Everyone in this village seems to love armour, don't they? At least, a good three out of every four people I've met are wearing some armour of some sort," she said with a wry smile. "But yes, I'm staying at the student academy at the moment. I rather not have any unnecessary spending due to my... ah, financial concerns."

Most would even go and call her a cheapskate anyway, living a very frugal lifestyle. The most expensive of her things were her glasses, because of how expensive durable shinobi lenses and special prescription glasses were. Her yen was, first and foremost, for the purchase of pharmaceutical and medical equipment. Even her basic necessities were a secondary concern. She would camp on the cold, hard ground if need be and her clothes were the same set she had for several years. Anything new were often either gifts or donations. Food landed somewhere in the middle of primary and secondary concern, as she made sure she had proper nutrition as well. She found she couldn't cut corners with nutrition due to the massive energy output when practicing with an active chakra system.

Mizushima-hakase was brought out of her self-analysis and taken aback at the offer of a test in battle. Why would a shinobi want to fight a doctor?

But... then again, it makes sense.

In such a grand task, one of liberating an entire country, one would have to make sure any ally can defend themselves. Otherwise, methods to make them defensible should have to be taken.

The doctor was going to open her mouth, about how she could take care of herself. But then she closed it. Sure, she had been able to defend herself and her clinic back at home on Hashima. But those had been against poorly trained thugs and relatively strong local mercenaries. It was a whole other world out there. She could see the logic in a test of strength.

Putting one hand on her hip as the other hung loosely at her side, she nodded. Her eyes had taken a different look from before. The way they narrowed showed that the cogs in her head were turning, churning. Analysis and strategies started at a drop of a hat. As she spoke, her tone was clipped and curt, barely speaking in actual sentences: "Don't expect much. But I'll do my best."

But then she paused and walked over to Sparrow and put a hand on one of her exposed shoulders. A seal burned there, a Medical Ward, and she brought up a hand to her own neck to place one for herself. "Just in case. Would be problematic if I am knocked out," she explains before backing a few steps away.

"Ready to begin whenever."|</FONTFACE>

​

[legend="[b]Out of Character Notes[/b]"]

• I agree to the specified terms. Any further questions have been and will be addressed on Skype. The spar was my idea, anywho. You're allowed to give the job to another Bmod if you'd like anytime, as well. I'm just looking forward to this test.
  
  Placed a Medical Ward on both Nanami's anyway, just as a In Character "just in case".

[/legend]<FONTFACE fontface="monospace">[/col]

 

[Tsukino Nanami]

[col3]

Mizushima Nanami​

---

HP: 42000 - 6970 = 35030
CP: 36000 - 240 - 768 = 34992
AP: 10 - 1.5 - 2.5 = 6
AP Next Round: 11
Visible Items: Nothing
Status:
-Crystal Eye|

Round 1

The Mod​

Field Condition
Cover: Moderate [+1]
Lighting: Dark [+2]​

0.00s: "Sparrow" activates Duelist -- Targets Nanami
0.00s: "Sparrow" activates Combat Instinct -- Targets Nanami
1.00s: "Sparrow" attempts to go into stealth -- SUCCESS! Nanami is not aware!
1.50s: Nanami uses Crystal Eye -- Nanami is still not aware of "Sparrow"
1.50s: "Sparrow" does a hidden action
2.00s: "Sparrow" does a hidden action
4.00s: Nanami uses Shadow Threads on "Sparrow"

• Nanami is Aware of "Sparrow's" location! "Sparrow" is brought out of stealth!
  HIT! [268 dmg]
  HIT! [268 dmg]
  HIT! [268 dmg]
  HIT! [268 dmg]
  HIT! [268 dmg]
  HIT! [268 dmg]
  75% Partial! [202 dmg]
  HIT! [268 dmg]
  Total: 2078 dmg to "Sparrow"

5.00s: "Sparrow" uses a Hidden Action
9.13s: "Sparrow" combines 2 jutsus together! Annihilation + Zantetsuken!

• HIT! 6970 dmg

10.00s:|

Tsukino Nanami
"Sparrow"​

---

HP: 42000 - 2078 = 39922
CP: 33000 - 1235 - 5250 = 26515
AP: 10 - 1 - 0.5 - 0.5 - 3 - 4.13 = 0.87
AP Next Round: 10.87
Visible Items:
-Tristan and Isolde
Status:
-Defensive Stance
-Duelist: Target Nanami
-Combat Instict: Target Nanami[/col3]

[legend="[b][fontsize="25"]

Nanami Battle![/fontsize]<i>[/b]​

</i>"]

Kill the spiders
to save the butterfly.
Life...
Death...
Is this what she calls....
Eden?
​

The ruins of the Kazekage tower isn't the most model place for a duel. A large barrier covered the combatants, turning the entire arena into a strange green hue for a moment before fading back into the darkness of the underground cavern. The combatants took a step backwards, preparing themselves. Fists began to tighten and their palms began to sweat. There was a strange silence between the two for a moment. Silence and anticipation, as if waiting for the other to make a move. The first move was made by Tsukino Nanami (who we'll address as Sparrow to alleviate confusion) began to blend in with the ruins.

Looking around, trying to find Sparrow, Nanami forms a quick set of handseals, summoning a large crystal eye above her. The eye was strange and eerie as it floated above her head and began to move on it's own. After the creation of the strange artifact, Nanami's eyes began to glow a strange white color, looking around via the Crystal Eye for Sparrow to no avail. After the quick glance through the Crystal Eye, Nanami's eyes returned to their normal color. Looking around and feeling the movement through the shadows, Nanami fixed her gaze upon a spot and kneels down to touch the ground. Large shadowy tendrils pop out of the ground, impaling Sparrow 8 times through the body.

This caused Sparrow to fall to the ground, exposing her location to Nanami. Standing up and dusting herself off, sparrow forms handseals quickly as she looked towards Nanami. She then smashed her large gauntlet-like gloves together, creating a massive clang before taking a stance and unleashing a single hellish blow upon Nanami. Her fist connected with Nanami's chest, launching her into the rubble.

-----
While these two have lead such dramatically different lives, they both had so much in common. While dealing with their own personal demons and terror organizations alike, the two of them found each other in the most desolate and war-torn places in the world. While very different, they seem to be two parts of a whole.

One was programmed to destroy and take the lives of many without question. The Black Sword
One had taken up the path to restore humanity and to save as many lives as possible. The Bright Shield.

Could this clash of fists cause these two to respect one another and return to being whole; or would this clash cause the two to remain separate pieces of the whole for the rest of time?

(yup, crap RP.. I didn't know where to take that one TBH)[/legend]
[legend="[b][fontsize="25"]B-Mod Notes[/fontsize]<i>[/b]</i>"]Notes and changes go here:

Round 1
Note to Mizushima Nanami:
-Some of your actions cannot be performed due to Sparrow going into stealth. You did not lose AP or CP for those actions.
-When sending actions, please indicate if you want to use the special action or not more clearly.
-If there's anything wrong with the mod, let me know.
Note to Tsukino Nanami:
-You were dragged out of stealth, and thus you lose -1 Stealth to re-enter stealth for the remainder of the mod.
Changes:[/legend]

 

[Akako]

[col]Adopting a confident and almost cruel expression, different from how she had been before, the doctor started to speak: "You know why I became a doctor, Tsukino-san? It's a very interesting profession. With our knowledge, we our capable of both taking and saving lives. Yet we chose to do the latter, just because we can."

Dust from their surroundings rushed towards an open palm as the doctor created a Crystal Eye. It never hurt to have an extra sense, so to speak, especially with dealing with such tricky, sneaky shinobi.

"But, say I had chosen the former? Biological warfare is an art, you know? A single touch, from skin to skin, and I could release toxins and viruses into your body," she smirked, pushing her glasses up haughtily with her free hand as she set the Eye into the air. "Toxins and viruses that would make Ebola look like the sniffles an-"

Not that it helped her any, the moment the other Nanami disappeared.

The cruel look on her face turned into mild annoyance and sheepishness at herself. She was hoping the small monologue would distract the kunoichi long enough for her to set up shop. Had the girl stayed within her field of vision, she could have made her think she had caught such a terrible, terrible fever.

It was a tactic she often used against the mercenaries threatening her clinic back home. The reason why no one so much as dare harm her fellow doctors and patients, why she were given sideway glances by anyone with so much as malicious intent.

It wasn't so much that she knew her poisons, no. Oh, she knew them well, but rarely included them in her battle repertoire. But, having done relatively harmless (to others), mostly moral experiments in her youth, she knew ways to break down the human body with acids, amino or otherwise.

There were amino acids, of course. Useful, essential buggers for the ever growing, ever aging human body. They had a lot of positive effects! They helped one, if they were healthy, to stay youthful, burned off fat and cholesterol, kept one's sleep, mood and performance at an optimum and could fight off such things like osteoporosis and diabetes. But muck that up, practice shinobi medical arts with malice and you could induce the opposite, destroying the victim's body.

That didn't even take into account straight up, literal acid techniques. Komodo Dragon acid, lye explosives, royal water... and, well you get the idea.

She couldn't spot her, even as she take cared to watch her surroundings carefully. But she could feel her. It was like that itch you just couldn't find, in hopes of scratching it. The Doctor could feel the Sparrow hiding in the shadows.

That was the kicker right there.

The girl was evading her using the shadows the Naras should have mastery over. Granted, the girl was only one fourth Nara (and one fourth Akimichi and one fourth Shoukyou, apparently).

So, she pulled, methodologically sifting through the shadows to find her. Threads of darkness speared left and right, trying to locate her opponent.

"I had a whole frightening speech prepared for you. So, there goes that plan," she sighed.

But before she could so much as shrug, Tsukino had gone towards her at terrifying speeds. The impact of the girl's first to her stomach hurt. She would be surprised if she came out of this fight without a bruised rib or two. Internal injuries were also worrisome. Had they not agreed this would be a mere test and had she not placed a Medical Ward (which she was glad she did) on the both of them, she would have been more worried.

Well, she still was worried.

And it still knocked the wind out of her, of course. And that was cause to take this matter a bit more seriously than before.

|</FONTFACE>

​

[legend="[b]Out of Character Notes[/b]"]

• Marked for Training on Mon Mar 02, 2015 6:02 am with 650 words
  
  M'kay. I'll be sending actions in a few.
  
  Note to self: Activate Duelist at the start of the fight next time.
  Note to self: Do conditionals.

[/legend]<FONTFACE fontface="monospace">

[/col]

 

[Tsukino Nanami]

</B>Chapter 9: Gates of Hell<B>Act 4: The Fallen Tower of Babylon​

Having been thrown out of stealth due to the dark tendrils sent her way, Nanami got up and dusted herself off before swinging her fists directly into the doctor. That had to hurt. She clacked her gauntlets together creating a loud 'TANG' sound, letting it reverberate through the cavern. Motes of dust flew off of her as she clanged the two large iron gauntlets together and listened to the doctor's words. Yes, the world of medicine could be used for both good and evil; Nanami knowing the evil of medicine, using biological warfare when she was a puppet of SCAR. She knew full-well what medical knowledge has brought to the battlefield in a less-than-heroic manner. Yes, she might be seen as a coward for using cheap tactics such as chemical and biological warfare, but she wasn't entirely at fault; for she had no control over her own actions.

"If you had chosen the former, doc," the woman said as she took a step forward, squaring off against Nanami and raised her fists up. "I would be sure to kill you," she said in response. There is no reason anyone should be using such terrifying weaponry. Only those who care nothing for human-life, even the lives of their own would use something so terrible as that. "So let's not talk about that, alright?" she mentioned with a big grin on her face. She didn't like the use of indiscriminate weaponry and she's willing to kill anyone who decides to use it, even though they may be friends.

Digging her feet into the dust, a gentle sound of grinding could be heard before the woman appeared to vanish before Nanami.

[Sending actions, then looking at yours, then modding.]

 

[Tsukino Nanami]

[col3]

Mizushima Nanami​

---

HP: 42000/35030: - 1100 - 2550 - 5990 - 165 - 330 = 24895
CP: 36000/34992: +1080 - [135] - 240 - 2176 - 5230 - 592 = 27834
AP: 11 - 1 - 3 - 4.5 - 2 = 0.5
AP Next Round: 10.5
Visible Items: Nothing
Status:
-Crystal Eye
-Sprained Brain (Head)
-Senbon Coating|

Round 2

The Mod​

Field Condition
Cover: Moderate [+1]
Lighting: Dark [+2]​

0.90s: Nanami uses Critical Exposure on Sparrow

• HIT! Suppressed!

2.76s: Sparrow uses Shadow Summoning on Nanami

• Failed!

3.64s: Nanami uses Senbon Coating on herself
5.29s: Sparrow uses Higuma

• HIT! 850 dmg to Nanami/MISS/HIT! 850 dmg to Nanami/HIT! 850 dmg to Nanami/HIT! 850 dmg to Nanami
  Damage Reflected back to Sparrow due to Senbon Coating: 442

7.73s: Nanami creates a new jutsu by mixing Earthen Magnitude with Scorn of Aquarius

• 75% Partial -> 50% Partial! 2452 damage

7.82s: Sparrow uses Zantetsuken

• CRIT! 5590 damage to Nanami
  Damage Reflected back to Sparrow due to Senbon Coating: 1038

8.51s: Sparrow does Called Shot to Nanami's Head

• HIT! 165 dmg to Nanami
  Damage Reflected back to Sparrow due to Senbon Coating: 33

9.20s: Sparrow does Called Shot to Nanami's Head

• CRIT HIT! 330 dmg to Nanami
  Nanami has a sprained head.
  Damage Reflected back to Sparrow due to Senbon Coating: 66

9.55s: Nanami uses Quality Break on Sparrow's current weapon

• Tristan and Isolde is now 10% weaker

Sparrow can't finish her actions due to being suppressed|

Tsukino Nanami
"Sparrow"​

---

HP: 42000/39922 - 442 - 2452 - 1038 - 33 - 66 = 35891
CP: 33000/26515 - [615] - 2000 - 2065 - 2065 = 19770
AP: 10.87 - 0.5 - 3 - 2.75 - 2.75 - 0.75 - 0.75 = 0.37
AP Next Round: 10.37
Visible Items:
-Tristan and Isolde [-10% dmg]
Status:
-Defensive Stance
-Duelist: Target Nanami
-Combat Instict: Target Nanami[/col3]

[legend="[b][fontsize="25"]

Black Sword and Bright Shield[/fontsize]<i>[/b]​

</i>"]

​

The two squared off, both now in the wide open. The sound of clanging could be heard as Sparrow slammed her gauntlets together forming a set of handseals. However, Nanami's faster handseals made Sparrow stumble backwards while casting only for a shadow to extend from her. The shadow continued to extend, but with magnificent grace, Nanami jumped out of the way before the shadow could reach hers. Nanami knows shadow jutsus, so seeing the shadow striking after her dodging an attack like that was second nature. With a quick slap of her palms, Nanami's body began to glow a strange silver color as microscopic needles appeared from her body.

Not seeing the needles, Sparrow proceeded to punch Nanami in quick succession, with each hit causing intense pain to shoot through her arms. Shaking off her hands after delivering crushing blows, she looked at her hands for a moment, not realizing what's going on. She punched her before and didn't feel this kind of pain. A long string of handseals were being formed, causing Sparrow's eyes to widen. The earth sighed and spilled out a deluge of water. Jumping straight upwards, she felt the wave of water clip her on the waste, throwing her into the water. She escaped the brunt of the damage, but it still hurt like hell.

Pulling herself out of the water, Sparrow pulled her fist back and delivered a crushing blow to Nanami's chest once again. Even though she felt tremendous pain from the blow, she knew Nanami probably felt it even worse. The crushing blow set Nanami flying through the water only to fall flat upon the ground. Jumping in after her, Sparrow straddled the woman and proceeded to punch her in the head once, then again. The second blow had more give as Nanami's skull cracked. Pushing Sparrow off of her, her eyes turned to look towards her weapon, causing rust and decay to cover Tristan and Isolde. With a quick slamming of her gauntlets, they made an even deeper clunking noise, beginning to steadily crack as she used them.[/legend]
[legend="[b][fontsize="25"]B-Mod Notes[/fontsize]<i>[/b]</i>"]Notes and changes go here:

Round 2
Note to Mizushima Nanami:
Note to Tsukino Nanami:
-Some of your actions couldn't be completed due to being suppressed.
Changes: Forgot to include damage from the previous round[/legend]

 

[Akako]

[col]She starts off the next segment of their little tussle with a technique her teacher had taught her. The old man had been ANBU, once upon a time, and had retired to teach on the island. Not that he had a choice to return to Mist to return to active duty, considering it was now a frozen wasteland. Actively seeking a weak point to throw Sparrow off balance was easy. It was made more effective considering her knowledge of human anatomy.

For a self proclaimed civilian, she knew how to use her advantages on the battlefield well, given the chance.

It's almost instinct too, when she dances out of the shadow''s reach. The technique paled in comparison to the Nara's natural skill, after all. It's almost insulting for someone to use it against her. Not that anybody knew she was (part) Nara. She didn't even really consider herself one, for all that she inherited their affinity for the shadows and their intellectual prowess.

But instead of going on the offensive right away, to take that golden window of opportunity, she sets up her defence. Always as good as any offence. Besides, this may be her only chance to do so, with how quick the other's punishments came. And if the other Nanami continued in her melee assaults, she knew this would pay off well.

She was right, of course.

Sparrow couldn't react fast enough as a defence that would mean considerable backlash surrounded the Doctor. Using her chakra and her skill with metal, hypodermic needles floated around her. She did not bother to fill them with mercury poisoning however. This was a friendly test of strength, was it not? And mercury poisoning was a bitch to deal with. Thank goodness for small mercies, eh? As the Higuma hit, karma was swift although its sting did not bite as much. One, dodge, two, three. Pushed back but not deterred, the doctor followed up with one of the strongest ninjutsu she may have used her entire mercenary career. Rather, a combination of two she knew, which would have wrought devastating effects.

She doesn't even know why she's trying so hard to prove she's capable. Even if she lost this match, she was simply to act as a medic. So why? (Maybe because she wanted to show, wanted to know that she could be good enough...)

As the earth shook and shuddered, water started to escape from the cracks, threatening to drown her opponents for her. But before they could hit, the water turned into a dark mass of shadows, threatening to consume all light and all life. Hungry. Had the other Nanami not avoided the brunt of it, the damage to her body and being would have been terrifying.

The exhaustion at using such a powerful technique leaves its toll on Mizushima-hakase. She isn't used to doing such things. Fighting. Creating such destruction. She's fought before... half hearted attempts where the worst of it was deterred through trickery and fear.

So, she stops for breath. A huge mistake. One that would cost her.

It takes a while for it to register in her brain (and that was annoying, considering how fast her brain worked) that she's down on the ground, straddled by the much younger woman. Tsukino's blows are indiscriminate, brutal. Again and again, she slams her gauntlets with all her might at the doctor's head.

A broken nose was the least of her worries.

Brain damage would be terrifying.

Her head throbbed, not just because of the multiple chakra enhanced blows. She couldn't quite concentrate or remember what she ate for breakfast (or had it been lunch?). It doesn't take a second opinion or further differential diagnosis to know she had a concussion. Hearing her own damn skull cracking, the damage echoing around inside her own fucking head was enough evidence. No doubt her eyes had a glazed look about them by now.

Forget curing mercury poisoning. Taking care of a concussion was the bitch. And here she had been hoping to take a nap later on.

"Brat, I oughta'," she slurred.

There was no more she could say. It was hard to find her tongue with all that cotton in her mouth. Not to mention her brain wouldn't, couldn't cooperate. It had, apparently, decided that her head was a great place for a drum solo!

Had her brain been functioning correctly right now, she would have told herself this was a stupid idea.

It was.

She doesn't even realize as she's made to try and destroy the things that gave her a concussion in the first place. In lieu of destroying the person responsible anyway.|</FONTFACE>[legend="[b]Out of Character Notes[/b]"]

• Nothing better than learning by doing, ei? And, boy, am I learning.
  
  Also, actually used Shadow Bend on Scorn of Aquarius. So, it's an AoE Shadow Tech rather than a Water one. o3o Will be RPing it as such.
  
  Yay, concussions.

[/legend]<FONTFACE fontface="monospace">[/col]

 

[Tsukino Nanami]

</B>Chapter 9: Gates of Hell<B>Act 4: The Fallen Tower of Babylon​

After delivering several crushing blows to the scalp, Sparrow was forced off, taking a deep breath afterward. She flexed her hands a bit as the metal of Tristan and Isolde began to whither away. Clearing her throat, Sparrow rolled her shoulders a bit and started bouncing a bit more. She was completely drenched from the deluge of water that poured from the ground. "Trying to re-enact the flood of Noah, now are we? Seriously now," the said as she swung her feet, clearing the water from the ground beside her. "How about we call it quits here in a little while eh? I really don't want to hurt you, Doc."