For all the feels . . . [Kaji]

[Seijin]

Dressed in a standard black shinobi gi, Umashi waited on Kaji to get to the meeting place. Having chosen the time on purpose, the stars above danced in the moonlight as only the flames of flickering torches seemed to light the way. With what was now assumed to be a sure deal, Umashi would be leaving Kaji behind in Kumo and taking Yuuto back with him to Konoha. Somewhat of a random deal, Umashi wasn't sure just how long this feeling between guilt and uneasiness would last but he figured that the manly thing to do was to express his feelings in person and to send Kaji off with one last directive.

Of course it wasn't supposed to be some romantic goodbye sort of thing but there were few people that Umashi trusted in the world and Kaji was high on the list. They'd been through Iwa and back and certain shared experiences made mere passersby into something akin to a family. Some might argue that Kaji got the better end of the stick, that of having his cake and eating it too but Umashi wasn't going to focus on who Kaji was messing with or delve into petty disputes. For some things there was only the putting in of work that would smooth things out and if Umashi wasn't to see a trusted friend for a very long time then it might be best to keep the goodbye short, sweet and to the point. There were those that said that Kage ought never to be caught crying but Umashi wasn't sure that whoever made such a saying understood just what sort of person that a Kage ought to be.

 

[Okada Kaji]

It was just how these things go. The matters of a shinobi’s duty and allegiance are often greater than themselves, and occasionally command that the shinobi do things that break the mold of their beliefs, and character, all in order to benefit the greater good. It wasn’t a matter of preferring the crisp air and rocky faces of the Land of Lightning over the seemingly endless jungles of the Land of Fire; better known as home. Was it love that shackled Kaji to this place? The question— much like the answer was not so simple. Had Kaji chosen to forsake the Will of Fire for a fire in his heart, and the sake of one woman, cherished or not? No, at least he’d never admit such a thing, though he could not deny what he felt for her. His paramour should have owned a trademark over the color blue.

Kaji entered the crumbling arena at a steady pace, this time taking a tunnel entrance. He was well acquainted with the Vespasian Colosseum, especially since his previous clash with Kaen. That fateful battle ultimately drove Kaji even closer to Yuii, who was there for him when his end seemed so definite. The damage to his body had healed, and even the arena had seen handy restoration in the passing weeks. But his soul, the core of his being, was still seeking a repair that only true affection could offer. She redefined him in ways ranks and oaths could not.

“Lord Hokage” The title rolled off Kaji’s tongue in a bold manner, recognizing the sum of his opponent for the honor and legend he deserved. “As always, I am honored that you have given me this privilege; to journey at your side in the name of the Hidden Leaf.” Kaji stepped out of the tall shadows cast by the angular moonlight, and emerged, dressed in his traditional Leaf uniform. Eelspine was at his side, pulsating with a presence of chakra as it prepared to sing the song of battle. There was no opponent more ultimate than a Kage, and among the three known to Kaji, he ranked Umashi is first on the list. “I must admit I’ve been looking forward to this” Kaji admitted, never eager to battle but always up for a real challenge. They weren’t playing for keeps like the last time he fought a Kage, which would allow Kaji to fight his hardest, and with pride.

// Okada Kaji has come.
wc407mft //

 

[Seijin]

Much like the shadow that he was, Kaji approached in a matter of fact manner that Umashi had come to appreciate. Smirking as he welcomed his guest he gave a nod of approval as Kaji admitted to looking forward. "Indeed, it has been a long time coming." Like an innate hunger, Umashi could feel the itch to battle his feelings out. Cocking his head to the side, Umashi put one hand to his chin and reflected out loud. "You know, I had you pegged more for Sennin than being a diplomat. I'm actually kicking myself that I didn't catch what Tatsuo had alluded to in the beginning." Feigning a sigh of total remorse, Umashi shrugged and closed his eyes. To his credit, part of the lure of most pirates was their bravado. Of such techniques as playing ignorant or appearing weak, Umashi was King.

It was in those precious seconds that his eyes remained closed that a calm seemed to settle over him. "They used to whisper about the Dreadnought of Hi no Kuni . . ." As he opened up his eyes he reached into his gi and pulled out a flintlock pistol, already loaded and with an initiative that was as quick as a clock's tick he aimed in Kaji's direction and fired. Using the momentum of the act to swing his body around he broke off into a dead run right at Kaji as his shinobi gi transformed into the dark leather garments of a seafaring pirate. His steps hastened, with every step the gi seemed to phase away and first by boot then upward he slowly become more of what he truly was. Umashi was no shinobi, he was a pirate, and in this tense moment of emotionally fueled protest, he'd act as such.

Running at a breakneck speed with his flintlock aimed before him at Kaji, Umashi forced chakra into the finely crafted prosthetic that was his left arm. It was unwieldy when compared to his more natural dominate right hand but all the same the small spark of chakra that he entrusted to it held true and begin to grow and grow. His transformation complete, he finally materialized his tattered black cape, Umashi leaped to the air just before the distance between him and Kaji was closed. One might have been hard-pressed to tell the difference between the dark and worn look of Umashi's Dreadnought gear and rags, but to a true fighter, it would speak of battles for glories unimagined. The chakra sphere captured between his hand finally growing to a substantial size, the whirling vortex that seemed to emanate from Umashi would tell just what type of frenzied chakra nature that he using. Umashi was fast, that much was true, but he knew that Kaji was far too opportunistic to get caught by even his fastest opening salvo. Still, Umashi dove right towards the man, perfected futon-rasengan first, without any sense of remorse.

OOC: Opening up with the Pew Pew. WVxTSxQL (Chimera) . As always, pardon any grammar mistakes. I'm on the run at the moment.
0sec~Initiative equip Wind Shot (flintlock pistol in this topic) and entering Hasted Steps.
1sec~Hasted Steps(x2) while using a perfected wind natured Rasengan.

 

[Okada Kaji]

And their final moment of idle chit-chat, not even the chilling touch of Kaminari no Kuni’s highland winds warned of the storm of action about to commence. Umashi concurred with Kaji’s anticipation for their clash, creating an atmosphere more resembling harmony than discord, though their movements soon suggested otherwise. “Perhaps my presence in The Cloud will strengthen our alliance,” Kaji replied, considering his recent nomination as a diplomat to The Cloud. “My time at The Leaf has taught me plenty about building bonds,” and a dozen memorable faces and times flashed through his memory. “Now it’s time to put that to the test… Personal wants aside, the things we’ll accomplish with this partnership with Cloud will better the lives of our shinobi, and the country alike.” Within, Kaji still considered those personal wants though, and he simpered from cheek to cheek. “If only Tatsuo knew what he set in motion that day, if you want to be mad anyone, blame him.”

And then they were off to the races. Umashi first introduced Kaji to the truth of his legend, one first earned as a Pirate. And he wore it well, revealing enhancements in his appearance to reach a more seaworthy appeal. “The Dreadnought,” Kaji would commit the name to memory as he shifted his body weight to one side. He weaved to the right, sliding out of alignment from the Hokage’s opening shot. Threads on the shoulder of his flak jacket were instantly split by a grazing bullet as Kaji avoided the direct hit. But this was only a preemptive measure from the Hokage, as he used the motions to flash into motion with hyper-speed for someone so up there in age, almost besting Kaji’s expectations for the old man. Umashi was locked in Kaji’s movements and closed in with an angled descent, attempting to obliterate him with a perfectly-timed Rasen-shuriken.

The arena floor was split open with a crater from the devastation, and Kaji was in full retreat, flipping back using critical agility to avoid the blast. “That was close” Kaji snarled between gritted teeth as he sped backward. He was skidding to a stop then, testing the grip of his boots in balanced drift. But then Kaji shifted into an offense and grasped the hilt of the mighty Eelspine. He reversed his direction as the light of the Rasen-shuriken faded and became a blur in the night. The moon crossed the blade of Eelspine in a reflection as Kaji unleashed it from its scabbard, and unleashed a crescent shaped wave of emeraldine chakra from an Iaijutsu drawing strike. The crescent wave traveled in a straight path for Umashi and created a scar in the earth as it raced towards him.</FONTFACE>

<FONTFACE fontface="georgia">0.00s~Grazed by Pistol Shot
1.00s~Combat Roll into Rasengan Dodge
2.00s~Entering Stealth
2.50s~Drawing Eelspine
4.75s~Silencer Terra Firma Shot Sneak Attack!

 

[Seijin]

Umashi missed . . . rarely did he miss. Do too little damage, sure. Barely graze a guy, possibly. Outright miss? Nope, Umashi didn't miss much and when his rasengan crashed into the ground instead of his opponent, the chaotic nature of the rasen-shuriken backfired onto his imperfect excuse for an arm. In its wake the small crater that Umashi now stood in provided the perfect hiding place for Kaji as the dust began to settle around him. Standing up, Umashi looked around as he tried to find Kaji in the darkness. His eyes were quick to adjust to the lack of good lighting and it was then that he was able to just barely able to make out what was around him.

Speaking out loud he attempted to taunt Kaji, and goad him into revealing where he was. "I'll admit, you're quick on your feet Kaji, but if you're to protect the Raikage, you'll have to be more than just quick to react. Your strikes will have to be harder than the rest, your blade will have to be built better, your steps will have to be even faster and ultimately you'll have to be smarter than all the rest." Walking slowly so as not to set off any traps, Umashi started to climb his way out of the mini crater when he caught the glint of something green. The slashing strike seemed to come out of nowhere and thinking to make a seal, he found that the prosthetic was now sprained and slow to react. Much like one might have attempted to step out of a pair of pants, Umashi stepped out of time in just enough time to avoid the bulk of the attack but it wasn't without recourse as his prosthetic arm wasn't fully in tune with the rest of his body.

Reflexively raising the arm before him to shield himself attack hit and cut deep into the material that it was made of. Reeling with the force of the attack, Umashi was thrown back into the kill box that was the crater and lost hold of his flintlock somewhere in the darkness. Managing to somewhat land on his feet, his fractured arm now hung at his side clearly worse for wear. The thought crossed his mind to shut up instead of continue with his verbal jabs and he slowly worked through the hand seals that that he needed to pull off another display of overwhelming power. Packing most of his chakra into his right arm, Umashi motioned towards the stars above with a final hand seal before crouched low and slammed his palms into the ground at his feet.

If Kaji had thought that his attack was going to be a finishing touch then he was surely mistaken. Umashi's feet began to glow as his steps gained a new agile nature to them and he ran up and out of the crater, leaping higher than any normal chakra enhanced jump might have allowed him. Dangerously high in the air, Umashi went from flying upward to now falling freely downward with his arms outstretched above him. As if on cue orbs of chakra began to materialize around him before he aimed his palms towards the ground below prepared to completely bombard the darkened battleground beneath him. With Kaji hiding in the shadows maybe one of the blast might scare him into moving. With the force of the attack slowly his descent, he landed amid a surrounding shower of chakra orbs that fell like rain. Most peculiar about the chakra orbs was the way in which they rushed to the ground and seemed to seek out Kaji before exploding at clearly timed intervals. While Umashi had managed to control their explosive force, he wasn't exactly able to pinpoint Kaji's exact location and the effect was mostly for show. His eyes focusing past the light show happening around him he hoped to catch just the barest glimmer of even Kaji's shoes in the dark. If he could hit Kaji once then he could indeed hit him again.

OOC: RPing Umashi taking backlash from the missed rasen-shuriken.
0s~Temporal Step x Danger Sense (avoiding the brunt of the attack ICly but still taking the hit via his prosthetic left arm and hand, fracturing them both)
1.7s~Activating Anti-Gravity (w/ Handseal Expert)
2.9s~Stardust Nova (Hasted Steps x2,Ripple Effect to turn it into 10 individual strikes, Feint)
2.9s~Upgrade and Concentration

 

[Okada Kaji]

The force of Kaji’s earth-scarring slice caught Umashi through the darkness, dealing minor damage that might have been worse Kaji put his maximum effort into his attacks. The trouble with sparring was often the urge to pull punches, and Kaji was struggling with hesitation, unwilling to risk harming the respected Hokage. Umashi, on the other hand, wanted to inspire a tougher offense from Kaji, or perhaps force a misstep with some taunting. In typical Kaji fashion, he remained a steel trap and stuck to finding another angle of opportunity against his vigil opponent.

And there seemed to be no kind of hesitation from Umashi though, as he resumed his follow-up counterattack. There was a full moon overhead tonight, and a super moon in rare form, closer than usual as the Hokage’s silhouette eclipsed it. His mere jumping motion sent him into high-altitude, exceeding limitations and gravity itself. He was far out of Kaji Okada’s optimal striking range when it came to his magical blade. Kaji would have been wasting his energy if he flung crescent blades wildly at Umashi from so far below.

Instead of duplicating his previous effort, Kaji began focusing more of his chakra into Eelspine, banking the energy for his next attack. But in that insignificant span of time, Umashi had begun to form several orbs of light, as if he were forming his own stars in the heavens. And then he unleashed them in rapid succession, firing them blindly in a rain of chakra missiles meant to find Kaji wherever he might have tried to hide. Each falling star moved cracked the sky in its fall like lightning and created a thunder claps as they collided with the earth. Kaji was as quick as he was clever, but the sheer spread of Umashi’s offense eventually pinned Kaji beneath the blanket of falling stars.

The end result would have been satisfactory for most of Kaji’s former opponents, who rarely caught him so effectively. However, this wasn’t the first, and probably not the last time Kaji would take such a devastating blow square on the chin. In fact, the shine of Eelspine suddenly cut through the billowing smoke that shrouded the floor below the airborne Hokage. “You can say what you will about my skill…” The sound of Kaji’s voice ended the silence that came after his Stardust Nova was complete, spoken boldly and projected as Kaji emerged. “My strength may be lacking, but my blade is second to none! Allow me to show you a rare sight; my noble phantasm, the blade Dracospine!” And then, with a roar, Kaji slung the blade bathed in emeraldine light in an upward thrust, unleashing a blast of pure power and fury: surely, it charged towards the Hokage as everything he expected of Kaji and more. This force of chakra was fired cleanly, resembling a powerful beam, rather than the crescent shape Umashi felt before. With ease, the beam flew up to Umashi, aiming to pierce him and the heavens if Kaji desired as much.

2.50s - Uses Limit Break (Visually transforms Eelspine into Dracospine)
2.90s - Pummeled by Umashi's Stardust Nova
5.00s - Unleashes Zansetsuken

<i></i>

 

[Seijin]

Having bided his time, Umashi's brain was a flutter with all the thoughts, calculations and predictions running through his mind. To him the act of Kaji unleashing the full might of his blade seemed to happen in slow motion. Could he have dodged it, possibly, but did he exactly want to . . . no. For a fact Umashi was a tester of the most interesting sort. To cross blades with someone was to learn about them in a way that few other styles could compare. Would it hurt, yes, but there were worse things that Umashi had endured. Twisting his body in such a way as to leave himself completely exposed to the fullest danger of a critical hit, in the moment that Umashi's body was hit by the attack he held up weakly what was left of the prosthetic as prosthetic material and physical flesh alike was torn asunder.

Few could inflict a cut so true that it barely drew blood, and in Kaji's case the hit was so clean that it took off not only his arm but his shoulder and a portion of his face as well. Devastating could hardly describe what the emerald light did the emerald eyed Hokage but in his minds eye, Umashi was able to see ahead to a future that was more favorable than the present. In that moment Umashi knew that everything was going to be alright, that Kaji would indeed be strong enough both physically and mentally to protect the Raikage and Kumogakure. He smiled, and as the attack dissipated into nothingness, Umashi landed with a weakened thud as the full extent of the damage done to overcame him. Coughing up a bit of blood, he smiled through heaving breaths as the burns along his skin and the lopsided way his body stood implied heavily who the historians would say won.

Skin blackened by the impact, though his left eye found no focus, his right did and as he forced his body to respond and talk. "Well . . . it seems that you sure proved this old man wrong today." Holding up his hand in protest to stop the fight, Umashi would began to heal, siphoning chakra from the very air itself. Even in a more peculiar way though, chakra would began to flow first with a tug, and then freely as Umashi took what he could from Kaji. "You'll have to forgive me as I compose myself. Mind if I borrow some fuel for the road?" Chuckling at the tickling sensation, an onlooker might notice how at first chakra seemed to form the appearance of the area needing to be healed, then forming the bone, the veins and finally the skin. His eye went from being a clearly dulled color back to its former glory.

What was most special was his arm though. Having sported a prosthetic for a few years, the sight of watching the arm appear in just a carefully crafted way might have seemed the stuff of something otherworldly. Taking the time to marvel at the growing appendage, when it was finally over, Umashi turned the newly crafted arm every which way as he felt its authenticity. Though his clothes hung about him in tattered fashion where Kaji's attack had struck. "The part that they never tell you about being a Kage is how much the people around you change you. Often it's about how much you do or how big of an impact that you make as a leader." Having absorbed some of Kaji's life essence, Umashi found himself feeling a bit more youthful in spirit. It was a residual effect of the technique that he was forced to use to heal himself and the only real reason that Umashi could figure how he'd lived as long as he did. The secret of his powers or the full extent of just what he could replicate where unknown fully even to him but if there was one thing that Umashi was good at, it was healing.. "Shall we call it a draw?" Umashi rubbed the back of his head nervously at the attempt of saving face.

OOC: RPing Umashi taking the hit of Kaji's attack, destroying his prosthetic and doing a dangerous amount of external damage to him. Attempting to end the topic and assume leaving it eventually. Fade to white? I'm using this topic to change BLs/CAs so forgive me for auto-hitting with the Life Drain, I gotta rewrite my DNA somehow, lol!

https://ninpocho.com/viewtopic.php?p=242950#p242950
1.62s~Life Drain(Mastered) w/Ninjutsu accuracy at Kaji (RPing as more of a chakra effect than an HP effect)
3.24S~Life Drain(Mastered) w/Ninjutsu accuracy at Kaji (RPing as more of a chakra effect than an HP effect)
4.86S~Life Drain(Mastered) w/Ninjutsu accuracy at Kaji (RPing as more of a chakra effect than an HP effect)
6.48S~Life Drain(Mastered) w/Ninjutsu accuracy at Kaji (RPing as more of a chakra effect than an HP effect)
8.1S~Life Drain(Mastered) w/Ninjutsu accuracy at Kaji (RPing as more of a chakra effect than an HP effect)
9.72S~Life Drain(Mastered) w/Ninjutsu accuracy at Kaji (RPing as more of a chakra effect than an HP effect)

 

[Okada Kaji]

Taking the brunt of Kaji’s noble phantasm was no matter worth shrugging off, and in this particular case, shrugging would prove to be a daunting challenge after Umashi took the unhindered Zantetsuken’s full force. The force brought him down to earth so to speak, both metaphorically and literally as Umashi returned to ground level rather harshly. When the ultra light beam cleaved through the opponent, Kaji was astounded by his own power, thinking that he’d probably miss, or be countered by something equally astounding, and now his heart sank as he considered how reckless his retaliation was. The heat of battle had caused him to almost slice another Kage in half, this time in the name of nothing but pride.

Kaji’s posture slumped when he considered what he had done, even if the falling stars left his counterattack seeming necessary at the time. Dracospine hung at his side, still glowing magnificently as if the blade was ready for more, but then Kaji culled that power, resealing it so the sword returned to its normal, humble scimitar shape. Despite his near fatality, Umashi was in good spirits and had witty remarks as he began to reform anew. Kaji could only watch on silently as Umashi continued to surprise him yet again with another incredible ability. In fact, Kaji merely idled as the Hokage stole some of his chakra, and simply allowed him to take a fair share of his energy if that meant avoiding a homicide charge.

“Yeah, I think we’ve done enough for one day… Perhaps we’ll try this again in the future” he said, somewhat hopeful that Umashi’s speedy healing would happen reliably, and without any disfigurement usually suffered by most who took such devastating blows. However, something about his rapid healing suggested that the Hokage would be just fine. Surely, the Leaf was in good hands, Kaji thought as he sheathed Eelspine for the night. Given the circumstance that inspired their brief spar, Kaji was sure they’d end up revisiting the event in two years time once Kaji’s visa in Kaminari no Kuni ran its course.

/// Good Time, Topic Left Unless Stopped ///