Eyes vs Manners (FIGHT CLUB!) [Bmod Battle]

[Kuru Naohiro]

The white-haired rogue gave a grin as he linked up the next two for a match. Uchiha Maikeru and Saitou Reicheru. With a leading hand, the boy led them towards the centre of the arena, same as he had done with the first pair. The sun had barely moved since the previous fight, but a wind had begun to come through the area, rustling the leaves.

“Time for the next battle,” Riku declared aloud, a smile on his face, “We got an Uchiha for this one … that’s right, special eyes and everything! Crimson eyes, that can look into your very soul! Our competitor … the crimson watcher! Can that special bloodline carry our competitor to the top? Time will tell.”

The boy had to turn his head to the side, giving a grin to Maikeru. He was running out of nicknames, but atleast Uchiha made it easier. That thought made Riku turn his head then towards Saitou, the girl seemed familiar, had he seen her before? What the hell was he gonna call her?

“And the challenger to our crimson watcher … the girl who thinks she can quell the firey blood of an Uchiha and resist the eyes that can shatter minds with a blink …”

Riku had to take a double take towards the girl as he mentioned fire, giving a smile towards her, he recognised her from the previous confrontation in the forest.

“The girl who had stood up to not only up to those that opposed the Hokages whims … but also the Hokage himself, she stood up in the fires and walked out unscarred … I bring to you … the fire tamer!” The boy declared, looking between the two, “The crimson watcher with the flaming blood of the Uchiha in his veins, against the girl who seeked to tame even the most violent of flames. Time to see who will win!”

With that, Riku nodded to the both of them, the same twinkle in his eye before he gestured towards the centre of the stage.

“Give your bow and the seal,” Riku said with a grin, “And say anything you want to the crowd.”

[Summoning Uchiha Maikeru]
[Summoning Saitou Reicheru]

 

[Saitou Rei]

'The fire tamer. Interesting.' Reicheru grinned as Riku went about his bombastic introductions as he was in the custom of doing. Her grey-eyed gaze shifted to the leaves that were dancing in the wind while he spoke. It was a funny thing, the wind - a strong gust would only serve to fan a flame, carrying destruction in its wake; but get that gust spinning and it could just as easily snuff the whole thing out. No difference in the composition of the element was needed to make the difference, only the direction it chose to move in.

So too it seemed Reicheru would have to be careful in the course of action she took. The Uchiha were a large enough clan in Konoha that she had learned some things about them, but to this day she had not come to trading blows with one. They were natural genjutsu masters, something Reicheru had always struggled with herself - not only in learning how to use them, but in how to counter them as well. She remembered the boy mentioning he had been away from the academy for some time though, and she wondered if perhaps his time away would give her the advantage of being a bit more practiced. Of course, her odds weren't really her main concern - as much as a first round knock out would hurt her pride, her real goal here was to learn something, not to prove anything.

"I'm looking forward to seeing what tricks you've got up those sleeves, Maikeru," the young kunoichi said with a grin as she bowed before stepping forward and giving the shinobi sparring seal. "Can't place any traditional bets today, but how about loser buys the next dango?"

 

[Maikeru]

The applause as Saitou entered the arena brought a smile to Maikeru's face. It was nice to see his friend get some recognition, even if they had only met a handful of times. He was doubtful that he would get the same response, having been a near nobody at the academy, preferring to stick to himself, and to his studies. Regardless, he planned to make the best entrance he could. As Riku announced his moniker, the Crimson watcher, an.. interesting name if Maikeru was being honest. He didn't hate it, though he wasn't sure if he wanted it to stick. Either way, he supposed he would be happy with the result.

Usually, Maikeru wore a very typical shinobi outfit. Today, however, he wanted to mix it up a bit. He had been.. inspired by a missing nin he had met in the land of the tea, and had decided to take on a persona like that man had explained to him. He still had the mask he had left him, after all, an exact replica of the mask the missing nin had left him, and now was as good a time as ever to see that it got some use. So, with a smile on his face, and his sharingan burning bright red in his eyes, he emerged from the shadows of the trees.

A long black trench coat billowed behind him as he walked, the sound of his boots crunching leaves with every step echoing silently among the roar of the crowd. The shadows draped over him, until the last moment, when he revealed himself for the crowd to see. As he stepped into the light, he put one hand in front of him, pulling on and tightening the red glove that was on his right hand, a crooked, confident smile on his face.

"A lovely intro!" Maikeru cried out above the cheering of the gathered crowd, giving a large, overly ostentatious bow, bring his upper body low, one hand resting on his abdomen the other splayed out behind him. As he quickly righted himself, holding his arms wide at his sides, he spoke again."Any other day I would revel in that name, take it on as my own persona! But today, my lovely Riku, I think I'd like to go by another name! You can call me.. Joker!"

There was a rise in the crowd again, giving Maikeru the sign to walk closer to Saitou. He gave her a small wink as he approached the appropriate distance to begin an honorable shinobi duel. He held out two fingers towards the girl, ushering for her to form the sign of unity so they could begin.

"I hope you get to see all my tricks, Saitou." He said, earnest in his response. "If I am going to be beaten by anyone, I hope it's a friend like you."

[Calling a Bmod]

 

[Kuru Naohiro]

Riku had to stifle a laugh as he saw Maikeru enter the battle. A grin growing on his face as he remembered Maru from his vacation to Tea. Apparently someone had met him … the thought passed as Riku watched them perform the seal and ready for the fight. The white-haired rogue walking into the centre of the area with a wide nod to both sides.

“Alright then,” Riku announced, throwing his hand into the air, “Eyes vs manners, the fire tamer vs the uhh… Joker! Lets see whos the best of the best! ON MY MARK!”

Riku counted down from 5, glancing between the two with a smile as he began to step out of the arena zone.

“..3, 2 … 1!” Riku shouted, “LET THE FIGHT COMMENCE!”

[Topic Left]

 

[Saitou Rei]

Reicheru cocked an eyebrow and grinned as Maikeru stepped forward. Apparently, his stage persona was quite different from the boy she had met at the dango shop. As he called out to and over the crowd, calling himself the Joker, Reicheru took careful note of her opponent: how he walked, the Sharingan he proudly displayed before the fight even began, the stance he took as they faced each other. Heart beating faster with excitement, Reicheru moved into her own stance - left foot forward and right foot cocked, hands up to jaw level with her palms open and fingers hooked. As Riku gave the countdown, Reicheru held eye contact with Maikeru. "Likewise." she said in response to his contentment with being beaten by a friend. A moment later, Riku called for the fight to start. 'Here goes nothing.'

[Calling B-mod forreal this time]

 

[Kanagawa Nozomi]

Welcome to a Moderated Battle!
I will be your B-Mod -- Tenkawa Kaori!​

I will be asking for the following:
+ Username
+ OOC Rank
+ Character Level
+ Custom Class
+ Stats (Tai, Nin, Gen, Stam, Agi, CC -- Order isn't important)
+ Bloodline/Core Ability (Provide a Link)
+ Kinjutsu (if applicable) (Provide a link)
+ Abilities (Link every ability)
+ Inventory (Link every item)
+ Pouch Types (You can fill in what goes in there (of that type) later on)
+ Weapons (if applicable)
+ Branch (Main/Medic/ANBU)
+ Jutsu List (Link EVERY Jutsu)
+ Contract Summon (if applicable)
+ Bodies (Dependent on Kinjutsu) -- I'll need all their information too
+ Cursed Seals (if applicable)
+ Strategist Slots (if applicable)
+ Anything else I missed but you feel would be needed in the fight.

Afterwards, in a separate PM, send me your actions. I do have some ground rules though ::
+ Link EVERYTHING you do (besides basic strikes anyway) to what you are doing in EVERY post you send to me. If you are doing a jutsu, I want a link to that jutsu. If it's from a bloodline, link to the bloodline, etc.
+ As with above, if you are using something from a particular augment, link that. If you are using something from your bloodline/core ability/kinjutsu, link to that table. If you are using something from a particular ability, link to the particular ability!
+ When doing calculations, don't calculate damage or CP. I'll do that myself.
+ Place the AP of your jutsu in your actions (makes things easier for me)
+ If there are anything that might modify your actions -- such as if you have +25% ninjutsu damage and you're doing a ninjutsu, stating it there will help me remember those buffs.
+ Make your actions clear and concise -- a wall of text makes it hard to read your actions even if you are comboing.
+ Keep your conditionals in mind. Only things you'd know IC can be used as conditionals.
+ You have exactly 48 hours to submit an RP and send actions. Failure to do this will result in being placed in Defensive Mode and doing nothing else. (other than smart actions)
+ Do not harass me on any medium about the battle. If I made a mistake (or a few) send me a PM (be courteous) and I'll go and fix it.
+ Label all round actions by the round they are for. so Round 1 actions -- Label the PM "Round 1 Actions"

Read Me!​

By approving this mod, you agree to follow the stated rules above.

Good luck to the competitors and FIGHT ON!

NOTE: First round will take a little while to put up due to having to compile all numbers together and all that -- so be patient with round 1.
If you guys have any questions on HOW to fight, I'll be more than willing to help. Just keep in mind that I will not tell you what actions to take.

 

[Saitou Rei]

The few moments between Riku calling the start of the fight and anything actually happening seemed to stretch on forever, like an over-dramatic anime trying to build tension. It was almost like some other-worldly force was delaying the beginning events, waiting for… well, who knew. More likely, it was her own nerves holding her in place. Drawing in a deep breath, the wind tousled Reicheru's mop of dark brown hair around her eyes which remained fixated on Maikeru, who also hadn't moved yet. 'Alright, let's just get started…' the young girl thought before stepping out to make the first move.

[Actions Sent]

 

[Maikeru]

Maikeru took a small jump back as he eyed up Saitou. She was a strong swordsmen, of that he had no doubt. He really just had to hope the precognition that was granted to him by his Sharingan would be enough. Really, really hope. He took a long, deep breath as he readied himself, gaining chakra in his eyes and body to use the instant she made a move. He was thankful that most Academy students didn't focus on genjutsu, that would be his saving grace in this battle.

"Come on Saitou!" He said, taunting her, hoping to drive her into a rage. He needed to unbalance her. "What? Are you gonna let yourself be beat by a boy?"

 

[Kanagawa Nozomi]

ROUND 1

Time	Attacker	Roll	Action	Defender	Roll	Result	Damage
00.00s	Maikeru		Activates Duelist	Reicheru
01.25s	Maikeru		Activates Sharingan
02.50s	Reicheru		Uses Thunderfist on herself
03.75s	Reicheru		Equips: Nimble Boots
06.25s	Maikeru	19	???	Reicheru	23	MISS
06.88s	Reicheru	22[lb][/lb] 16[lb][/lb] 15	Spinning Wind	Maikeru	11[lb][/lb] 18[lb][/lb] 18	HIT![lb][/lb] MISS[lb][/lb] MISS[lb][/lb] Autododge: [lb][/lb] 52 -- Fail[lb][/lb] 99 -- Fail[lb][/lb] 56 -- Fail[lb][/lb] Disorient: 13 -- Fail	Normal Dmg: -204 HP[lb][/lb] Normal Dmg: 0[lb][/lb] Normal Dmg: 0[lb][/lb] Thunderfist Dmg: -128 HP
10.00s	Maikeru	--	Fireball	Reicheru	--	Autohit: 42 -- Fail[lb][/lb] Autododge: 2 -- Attack autododged	Normal Dmg: 0

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[tbody]

 

[Saitou Rei]

"Surely you have more faith in me than to try that?" Grinning as her friend taunted her, Reicheru dashed forward while focusing chakra into her feet to boost her speed as well as prepare for her first attack - a test of sorts. 'Those eyes of his could let him see through my every move… but he's still learning how to use it, so maybe if I'm just quick enough…' As she neared her target, if one were paying attention they could see small sparks of electrical energy bouncing off her feet, a potential giveaway to her plan of attack. The moment before she struck, she worried about the fact that Maikeru hadn't taken any action yet - was she already caught in a genjutsu and didn't even know it? Truthfully, she hadn't ever been caught in one and wasn't sure she'd be able to recognize it. Yet she still felt fully in control, so averting her gaze from the spinning red eyes and hoping to avoid any tricks, she faked a right cross to distract from the chakra building into her feet. Intentionally missing, she used the forward momentum to launch into a roll behind the boy, safe from the Sharingan and with a small opening for attack. Using the chakra she'd gathered, she stuck her landing hard and immediately launched into a whirlwind of roundhouse kicks that were charged with lightning energy. As the first hit connected, Reicheru couldn't help but smile - so the Sharingan was not as all seeing as it was made to seem, at least not at this stage. This small moment of arrogance was all that was needed to throw of her momentum and give Maikeru an opening to block her next two hits. She didn't yet know that the Uchiha were unlikely to be fooled by the same trick twice. As Maikeru turned to face her, her eyes grew wide at the flurry of hand seals she caught only a moment before a ball of fire filled her view. Utilizing the chakra she still had focused in her feet, the young kunoichi-to-be leapt as high as she could, just barely clearing the top range of the flames that licked at the soles of her boots. 'That was too close…' Reicheru thought as beads of sweat began to form on her forehead. 'Don't let him get in your head - you know that you can hit him!' Still midair, she began calculating her next move. It would be nearly impossible for her to predict what the genjutsu user would do, so she just had to be quick enough to hit him before he could do anything.

[Actions Sent]

 

[Maikeru]

There was definetly a witty retort sitting on the edge of Maikeru's tongue, but, apparently SOME PEOPLE didn't want to give him the time for that. One thing people didn't know about the Uchiha was the defining weakness of their eyes, hell, it wasn't something that most Uchiha knew. However, it was the most demoralizing thing that Maikeru had ever experienced in his short life. It was true, the Sharingan saw everything. Every move that Reicheru was making was telegraphed to him moments before her own body even knew she was going to make those attacks. Sounds like a blessing for a shinobi, right?

Well, not exactly. The one field Maikeru struggled with was taijutsu. His body just wasn't as use to it, his muscle memory not as developed as Reicheru's clearly was. Seeing the problem yet? Although he could see all of those moves, in slow motion, his body couldn't keep up with all of them. Instead, he got to watch as he flailed at the first attack, seeing the strike that he knew was going to hit him, and bracing himself internally for it. How strange, he was sure he had cast his genjutsu, there was definite eye contact. It appears the Saitou was made of sturdier stuff than he had originally taken her for. What a drag.

The next two strikes he was ready for, parrying the first with his fore arm, and ducking under the other. The combat was starting to get a rhythm too it, like a choreographed dance. Two people, each performing their moments at the perfect moment, for an audience that was deafening it's approval. And finally, came the crescendo, the upswing of the entire piece. The girl had performed beautifully, giving her partner the time to duck under another blow, his hands swinging in a motion every Uchiha child is taught from the time their old enough to weave handsigns.

"Your piece has been beautiful my dear, you truly are a grace to this stage. But, sadly for you, it's time to draw those curtains and take your bow." He landed on the tiger sign, a cocky smile crawling onto his face. "Fire style! Fireball jutsu!"

He felt the heat build in the back of his lungs, the will of fire that burned within his heart bellowing and bursting the flames forth from him. As he exhaled, the large, brilliant display of fire and sparks was a familiar, welcome sensation to him. For a moment, all he could see was burning embers and all he could feel was the heat of his victory against his skin.

The tongue click that came when he saw Reicheru land a few moments later, unharmed and not even slightly singed by his masterful performance, was drowned out by how excited the crowd seemed to be for this young Kunoichi. Troublesome.

[Actions sent.]

 

[Kanagawa Nozomi]

@All: Good job with this round guys! While RNG doesn't seem to always be on your side (especially for Reicheru this round), you guys are still doing a great job! Keep it up!
Again, you guys have 48 hours to post and send actions.

 

[Saitou Rei]

As the smoke cleared, Reicheru met Maikeru's fading cocky smile with one of her own. She wasn't typically one for theatrics, but her friend was working the crowd so well that it seemed rude for her not to play along. "A masterful attempt to be sure, my friend; but didn't you hear the introduction Riku gave? Not only will I walk out of the flames unscathed - I'll snuff it out!" Grin widening, the young kunoichi dashed forward again in a similar fashion as she had the first time. "What? You're going to use the same tactics over again on an Uchiha? That's suicide!" some in the crowd would think. But Reicheru pushed forward un-phased, energy radiating from her feet to bring her decisively before her opponent.

Then, in an instant, her demeanor changed. Her chakra was suddenly pulled up from her feet all at once, and poured into a weapon that seemingly came out of nowhere. In it's deactivated form, the blade retracted down into the hilt and was small enough to fit in the pouch that rested on her hip, making it easy to conceal as well as access with lightning speed. Squeezing the trigger where her fingers rested as she retrieved it, a sturdy blade shot forth from the top of the hilt, assembling itself in the blink of an eye. It was funny, she thought; at one time the weapon had felt so heavy in her hand. Now it only felt like an extension of her, natural in every way.

Which is why, as she brought it up against Maikeru in a flurry of slashes, she was astonished as he evaded every strike. 'You're an idiot, Reicheru. A fast three-hit combo… it may not have been the same attack as before, but it was too similar.' Just as she decided on a corrective course of action, she was dismayed to find that she had given the Uchiha enough time to do the same. Suddenly there were multiples of him - clones, she assumed. But what kind? While many served as diversions, some could attack on their own as well. She had been fortunate enough to dodge one fireball, but could she avoid multiple at once? Narrowing her eyes with a grin, she called out as she charged one of the Maikerus, "I had hoped for a better trick than clones; they may save you for a moment, but…" her sentence was interrupted by a small gasp as she brought her sword down on one of the clones, and it didn't disperse. 'That should have been a hard enough hit, but I didn't even feel anything! Are my eyes playing tricks on me, did I miss it? Or am I that weak?' Pursing her lips, the young girl found herself getting frustrated. She'd never missed so many hits before, ever. Jaw tight, she grinned to hide her annoyance. "…but I will find you!" she called out as she launched herself into the air, spiraling as she came down with her sword swinging in a wide circle around her to hit as many targets as she could.

'One hit…' she sneered to herself continued to whirl about in the air, thankful that she had landed at least one strike but frustrated that she hadn't been able to identify clearly which was the real Maikeru. 'He's synchronized his clones movements with his own; it's so trippy…' As she thought, she failed to take note of the fact that the boy had learned from his last mistake and launched his next fire jutsu before she landed this time. Having nothing to push off from, her momentum bringing her steadily toward the ground, Reicheru could only brace for impact with her eyes shut tight as the flamethrower threatened to swallow her. And yet, as she hit the ground and the flames engulfed her, the pain was not as bad as she expected. Slowly opening her eyes to a squint, she saw that the sword she had instinctively thrown out in front of her seemed almost to be glowing. It was a familiar feeling - like that night with her grandmother, when she sensed a more mature chakra like a dome around her, protecting her. 'Alright granddad… I see what you're doin' there!' She thought with a grin, distracting herself from the pain of the flames that licks at her sides and from behind. "Well it would seem a repeat act is the only place an Uchiha can shine! Won't you give us something more interesting?" Reicheru called out, playing to the crowd that Maikeru seemed to be drawing his energy from, hoping to sway their opinion and throw him off balance. Still, she said it with heavy breaths; she could feel that she had used too much chakra to do too little damage. She would have to make her next moves count. 'This may look bad, but we're not finished yet! Putting a lot of faith in you here, old man!'

[Actions sent]
[OoC: Was given permission by Maikeru to RP out what Reicheru would be seeing via the hidden action]

 

[Kanagawa Nozomi]

B-Mod Notes:
@Reicheru: Already told you what you needed to know about conditionals. I'll be sure to take what you showed me to the b-mod team as what was shown was actually incorrect on the forum (For that, gomen)

Same rules, different round

 

[Maikeru]

Maikeru was left panting after both the flurry of blows he had been receiving from Reicheru, and his own physical exertion of multiple fire ninjutsu. He was beginning to feel a pain in his left eye from continued use of both his Sharingan, and the stress of maintaining a genjutsu on Reicheru. He took a deep, calming breath, as he stood up to his full heights, once again raising his hands in an exuberant fashion. After all, he was Joker, he was here to entertain and rile the crowd.

"Friends, compatriots, and paying customers alike, I hope today's little spar gave your lives a bit more entertainment. Can we get a rouse of applause for our lovely kunoichi, the mistress of blades, the number one swordswomen in all of the leaf, the Fire tamer. The lovely, and irreplaceable, Saitou Reicheru!"

With his words the crowd went wild, people had begun to climb onto tree branches to get better views, causing leaves to fall in lazy patterns down to the two combatants, as if the crowd was showering them with confetti, a sign of a performance well done. He gave Reicheru a large smile, before giving her a large, respectful bow. A bit ostentatious in execution, but the thought was there.

"But, it is as I told you my dear, it is time for your curtain call." He turned his back to the girl, tilting his head back to look up into the sky, to watch the leaves falling in the mid afternoon skyline. "If you must fall, let it be to roaring applause! Come people, let's give her a going out to remember!"

The crowds applause become louder, and louder, causing the very trees around them to shake from the reverberations. The echoes of their approval would grow and crescendo around them, Maikeru was sure even the Anbu who were presumably watching this little fight would be deafened by it. He closed his eyes for a moment, allowing himself to take in the splendor of this moment. His Sharingan had already seen everything he needed to know this fight was over. From the pattern of her breath, to the way her tired muscles performed the jutsu and blows she threw at him. She was becoming slower, sloppier, easier to dodge.

"Now, Reicheru." He said, raising a single hand up, placing his middle finger against his thumb. "Take your final bow."

With that, he snapped his fingers. He was sure the fight was over, and he was signaling for his partner to play her part.

 

[Saitou Rei]

"I'll take that as a no then, on the something more interesting…" the kunoichi quipped between ragged breaths, still smiling as with one hand she held the burnt arm that still gripped her sword. Even her hii-ojiisan's chakra could be worn down it seemed, though she suspected that was in part because there was still much to learn about the blade itself and the soul it held inside. They had paired, but were not yet truly one. A good thing to know.

As Maikeru began to rile the crowd, Reicheru watched how quickly his manner changed, how he hid the grimace and squint in his eyes to put on a good show. The fact that he could hide it so well signaled further what the young girl already knew - she was beat. What had started with promise had devolved quickly on her end, as their time exchanging blows only allowed her opponent to unravel her and figure her out and turn her strengths into weaknesses. Being so completely unaware of how to counter the way he was playing with her head, she accepted that the outcome was clear and that drawing things out would only serve to make a greater fool out of her. She felt she had learned what she wanted to learn for now, and so as Maikeru carried on, she returned the smile and prepared to admit defeat. She could proudly proclaim her friend the winner without reservation.

But as the self-proclaimed Joker snapped, she wondered. She had used up most of her chakra, and that only to enhance her swordsmanship. The Uchiha had pulled off several intense, chakra-consuming ninjutsu, all with an active Sharingan. Perhaps he was not in the same amount of physical pain as her, but how much longer could he last? She was certain that nothing she could do would change the outcome, she was most definitely beat. But the curiosity that gripped her, the fear of being in a similar situation in a battle with real stakes and having no experience to reference on the best course of action, prevented the Nanjirou from taking her bow. "Maikeru, you are too kind…"

With a smile, she mustered all the energy she had left and raised her one good arm in a similarly boisterous fashion. "Did you come to see a pleasant spar, or did you come to see a victor?!" A smile crept across her face as she found the crowd maintained its energy, applause and hollering greeting her in response. She turned to face her friend, though still visible to and half-addressing their audience. She extended her hand out to her friend, returning the courtesy he had done her and signaled for the crowd to give the Uchiha his due. Thunderous applause continued to ring out around them as she bowed in the same way he had for her. "Maikeru, you have certainly outdone yourself! It would be a shame to cut short a symphony in the midst of its crescendo, to put down a good book before the falling action. Yes, it would be rude of me not to allow you to finish your act! Come now, one last round - for the lovely people of Konoha!!" The last bit she called out as loud as she could, pandering to the voices that fed her opponent. She hated to ruin his picture-perfect ending, and drag things out longer than necessary, but she needed to know just how far each of them could go.

[Actions Sent]

 

[Kanagawa Nozomi]

B-Mod Notes
The Holy Sword was able to plink the damage, but it wasn't enough as the Gen came in and cleaned up.

You guys did fantastic for your first go at the system!
With enough polish, you both will be ferocious competitors in the fight scene.
Hit me up if you ever want to talk builds, guys!
Good job and good luck in the future. For now, Tata!

 

[Saitou Rei]

Almost immediately after her performance for the people, Reicheru's knees buckled as a second wave of pain flooded her senses. Still, she could feel the energy of her great-grandfather Hayate flowing up from her blade and shielding her from the harsher effects of her opponents attacks. '…he was a fierce protector of his family…' her mother's words rang in her throbbing head. A small smile of gratitude stretched across her lips; still, at this rate she would be down and out if he so much as poked her in the forehead. She had to stall.

Slamming her free hand back together with the one that held the sword hilt, a sudden burst of chakra poured into her sword which, in a similar manner to how it assembled itself from inside the hilt in seemingly no time, rearranged itself into a broad spiked shield which she slammed the tip of into the wooden floor below them, allowing it to stand on its on and freeing up both of her hands. She needed to heal, but couldn't risk getting hit while she performed the technique she was only still learning. For someone who until recently had never delved into medical jutsu, even the simplest jutsu required from Reicheru the utmost concentration. 'If I can just buy a few more seconds… just a few more seconds, and I can heal just enough to get one last hit on him… make him earn this win to the end…' she thought to herself as she poured what little chakra she had left into her hands. As she waited, she peeked past the shield and over to Maikeru to see how he would respond…

When suddenly, the multiples she had been seeing of her friend began to blur together. Her eyes couldn't seem to focus, and the throbbing in her head intensified. Those clones - had it been a genjutsu all along?! Shutting her eyes tight, Reicheru grabbed her head with chakra-infused hands, attempting to calm the pain. But alas, it was to no avail, and the young kunoichi crumpled to the ground, head in her hands. It was over, most annoyingly before she could get even one final hit in. How disappointing. Still, she had come here to learn, and once she could get her mind straight again, she was certain there was much she would take away from this fight - namely a burning desire for a rematch once the two of them graduated and had some more real-world experience under their belts.

"Sorry to end the show on such an anti-climactic note," she nearly whispered, looking up at her victor through squinted eyes, muscles slowly relaxing as the genjutsu dropped and numbness set in. "Give 'em a good ending, won't ya?"

 

[Maikeru]

When he heard Reicheru's body hit the ground, his persona that he had dedicated so much energy to broke for a moment. In that instant he was no longer Joker, prince of thieves, phantom thief extraordinaire, jester of crime. He was just Maikeru, a leaf shinobi concerned that he went too far over the line with his friend, that he had hurt her in a way he did not intend. He rushed to her side, crouching beside the girl, his gloved hand gently pressing against the side of her face, trying to elevate her. His hand moved to take her pulse, to place to fingers against the veins of her neck, but thankfully she began to speak.

A small smile crept onto Maikeru's face, and he moved his hand off of her, resting it on his knee. He was thankful she was okay, and still conscious. After all, the exit they had to give would be so much less dramatic and full of fan fare if she couldn't be a part of it.

"Yea.." He said to her in response to her comment about giving the crowd the show it deserves. "Come on, let me help you up."

He would offer her his shoulder, letting her put her weight on it if she needed. If not, he would simply give her his hand, helping her to her feet before addressing the crowd. The cheering had stopped when Maikeru showed the concern, a dull silence settling over the forest. Now this would simply not do. Clearing his throat into his gloved hand, he redonned his persona, his voice becoming exuberant and full of energy.

"Now what is this?!" He questioned to the crowd. "Did we all not watch the same fight? Let's get some energy back into this, both of the competitors deserve that much."

With the words of the joker, the crowd erupted again. With the danger of a death gone, the cheering was even louder than before. The ANBU would have a genuine noise complaint on their hand if they returned, instead of peddling whatever bullshit charges they had before. He reveled in the energy, holding up his own arm into the air, before looking down at Reicheru.

"Firstly, let's hear it for the second strongest Academy Student in the village, Ms. Saitou Reicheru, THE FIRE TAMER!" He grabbed Reicheru's wrist, throwing her hand into the air like a boxer that had just won the show match. He held it aloft as he continued speaking. "And the winner of the match, the handsome rogue himself, JOKER!"

As the crowd erupted into cheer, and money began to exchange hands, he looked to Reicheru, giving her a small wink. He had to play himself up, didn't he?

"Hey," He whispered to her, "Let's get out of here, you owe me a meal, don't you?"

 

[Saitou Rei]

Grunting as she opted to take Maikeru's hand to rise to her feet, Reicheru summoned the strongest smile she was capable of for the crowd. As time further removed her from the effects of the genjutsu, her clarity returned - though the burns on her arms and legs would have to be dealt with later. Retracting her blade and storing the hilt back in her pouch, she joined the crowd in clapping for her friend just before he grabbed her wrist and redirected their applause to her first. It was perhaps the most gracious victory she had ever seen, and the disappointment and discouragement she had felt moments before faded. She was truly okay with losing to a friend like him.

Reicheru playfully raised an eyebrow as Maikeru reminded her about the bet she had placed at the beginning of their match. Grinning up at her tall friend, she reminded him, "I'm pretty sure they're gonna want you to fight someone else after this Mr. Handsome Rogue, considering the state you have the crowd in. Don't worry, I won't bolt and back out; I can hang out and watch. Or we can go now if you're done with this. Up to you, champ." Calling him that was ironic, as you typically didn't hear it outside of adults addressing children, and Maikeru was roughly two-and-a-half years older than her. But she meant it good-naturedly, and honestly at least in part to distract from the fact that out of all the names he'd given himself, she'd used the one involving 'handsome' in the title. She would wait to see what he decided on and would roll with whatever that was. Regardless, both options involved sitting, and nothing sounded better than that right now.

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