Knocking on Heaven's Door [Open]

Senju Kazuki · Jun 6, 2017

[col]

The two-on-one dynamic was going well for them. Suna was a powerful combatant, but not even she could resist against two powerful fighters, like Kazuki and Katsuo were. Unfortunately, Ancients had the ridiculous tendency of being stronger still. Despite the lapse of time they had been fighting already, the former AiT still had enough in her to fight back and cause significant damage. Fortunately, the Senju Overlord was no longer the primary target of her fury. Since the arrival of the golden themed warrior, he had been her the target of her undivided focus. The White Wolf had to capitalize on that and use it to their advantage. His small army of minions would unleash a barrage of attacks to down her. Unfortunately, she still proved to be a far nimbler fighter than her current condition would state. Even his attempts of binding her were failing more than succeeding. Not only that, but she was sustaining far more damage than the silvery haired man had initially anticipated. It would seem Ancient’s natural resiliency was exponentiated on the Earth Court. Or because she was their queen, hers was greatly enhanced.

Nonetheless, she was doomed to fall. Reaper, however, was not fully prepared to be attacked by his recent ally. But an attempt was made nonetheless. But he had been blessed by lady luck that time as the Ranger Lord evaded the attack from his recent companion. The main question would be why he was being attack now, all of a sudden? The Occult Sennin was certain he was not double crossing him, there was no point in doing that, since he could have jumped on him from the beginning. Maybe he was being fooled by Mother Suna. But there was little he could do to fix that, besides dodging any possible fire coming his way. But they needed to take her down soon, otherwise, given the current trend, they would both fall before her. A ridiculous idea, but possible. ”You are making this harder than you have to be. Cease. You will not win against both of us and your endurance will not last forever.” Kazuki would command. He did not believe she was going to heed his words, but at least, he had tried.

[MFT - 374]

Actions:
Maintain Corpse Soil and Abysmal Harbinger.
Activate Dark Invitation on Shiori.
Cast Energy Transfer - Mastered on Shiori (taking Chakra from her) (2.5 AP)
Cast Sand Stars - Mastered (2 AP) on Shiori from my Corrupted Energy pool. Use Affinity move debilitate and Feint
Cast Cluster Attack - Mastered (2 AP) (Special Action: Bludgeoning) on Shiori from my Corrupted Energy pool. Use Affinity move debilitate and Feint
Cast Water Dragon Bullet - Mastered (3 AP) on Shiori. Turning it into Shadow via Nara's Shadow bend and use my corrupted energy pool. Use Affinity move debilitate and Feint
Cast Scorn of Aquarius - Mastered (3 AP) on Shiori. Turning it into Shadow via Nara's Shadow bend. This will be considered the follow up jutsu if Water Dragon Bullet cascade effect takes place. Use Affinity move debilitate and Feint and it is to be casted from my Corrupted energy pool.

Zombies (2 AP total)
Use basic strikes on Shiori. 2x times each (200 damage), using Nin Acc. (1 AP)

Youkai S Rank Summon (6 AP total)
Use Utter Chaos – A-Rank Genjutsu (Visual) (3 AP) targeting Shiori
Use Venomous Bite – A-Rank Ninjutsu (3 AP) targeting Shiori

Abysmal Harbinger (4 AP total)
Basic strikes (1100 damage per each) on Shiori. (1 AP) x4

Conditionals
Cast Flock of Shadows - Mastered (3AP) to dodge the first attack from Shiori that targets me alone and if it takes less than 3 seconds.
Cast Shadow Possession- Shadow Binding Technique - Mastered (1 AP) on Shiori, if she is unbound at any time by any means.
Cast Thunderclap - Mastered (1.5 AP) if I lose track of who the real Shiori is.
Cast Thunderclap - Mastered (1.5 AP) if Shiori becomes stealthed.

|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqiv8qpY780][b][u]Strength of the Senju[/u][/b][/url]]"]

Senju Kazuki – Occult Sennin

[/legend][/col]

Sand Council · Jun 10, 2017

[col3]

Senju Kazuki
HP: 14210 [+1170 Healing Factor][+1928] 17308 [-10535][-780 Bleed II] 6261
Gen damage cannot be healed
CP: 5170 [-3145] 1995
Corrupted Energy: 7005 [+1389] 8394
AP: 10.5 [-10.5] 0
[spoilername="Passives"]Journeyman (Main Branch): Jutsu cost -5% Chakra.
Jutsu Mastery: All Jutsu cost -10% Chakra, this includes Maintains. All Chakra cost penalties from choosing to use 'Special Actions' are halved.

Meaning there is a 15% Chakra Cost reduction total.

Shinobi 101 - Ninjutsu (Slashing Taijutsu with Ninjutsu Accuracy)
Summoner: A Creation's HP and CP are +5% Higher. The user may now have two different Creation Jutsu active at once; however, the second Creation Jutsu will be treated as Rank 1.
Initiative: The user is capable of prioritizing 1 AP worth of actions per round which are modded as 0 AP but all costs are paid as normal.
Conservative Motion: Jutsu effects that would increase Chakra Costs are negated. All Effects that have a chance of causing the user's action to fail are halved and all AP increasing effects are negated.
Clarity: The user is given a resistance check every round against Genjutsu as opposed to the normal round wait time. The user is always aware that they are in a Genjutsu unless the Genjutsu was treated as a Sneak Attack.
Concentrated Focus: The user's binds have a -5% chance of being escaped from and binds which break upon the user losing a portion of their Max HP or CP are now increased to 20% Max HP/CP.
Elementalist: The user may now use a Major Affinity Move and a Minor Affinity move upon a single Jutsu (Up to B Rank) Both affinity moves must be different, and the user must have a Major Affinity in the Element.
Duelist: always use this in a 1 v 1
Healing Factor: Regain 3% max HP every round
Strategist -- Nara You need to list your strat slots in your stats. You can use this for a free basic strike, place some poison on it, a sad version of quickdraw, to affix an E-note to something, etc.
Class: +5% Ninjutsu Damage
Shadow Bend: May convert Fire and Water Jutsu into Shadow at no extra cost. +15% Shadow Damage.
Shadow Tactics: +10% Damage, +1 Accuracy while in shade. While maintaining a bind or resting, they gain +3% HP/CP per round.

This is a total of +30% shadowy damage

[/spoilername]
[spoilername="Stats"]Ninjutsu Accuracy: 27
Genjutsu DC: 23
Melee Accuracy: 23
Ranged Accuracy: 19
Gen Save: 23 +2 (Slippery Mind)
Evasion: 23
Awareness: +2[/spoilername]|

Takahashi Shiori/Formerly Neophyte
HP: 9399 [+1876] 11275 [-5891] 5384
CP: 1961 [-1935] 26
Corrupted Energy: 4037 [+1876] 4713 [-5760] 1353
AP: 10 [-10] 1
[spoilername="Passives"]+5% Chance of inflicting Secondary Effects (from Class Card ASP purchase)
Dark Sage
Hashigaki
Sentinel (ANBU Branch)
Shinobi 101: Visual Genjutsu are cast using Ninjutsu Accuracy
Elemental Illusion
Mind Overflow
Duelist
Shattered Reality
Willpower
Elementalist
Jutsu Expanionist
Sixth Sense
Tracker[/spoilername]
[spoilername="Stats"]Ninjutsu 27
Genjutsu DC 23
Ranged Taijutsu 23
Melee Taijutsu 23
Genjutsu Resistance 23
Evasion 23
Awareness
Stealth[/spoilername]|

Abyssal Harbinger
Poofed[/col3]

[col3]

Kazuki's Zombies
Poofed|

Kazuki's Youkai Contract
HP: 13326 [-533] 12793
CP: 16310 [-5325] 10985
AP: 6 [-6] 0

[spoilername="Stats"]Melee Accuracy = 10 + 14 + 2
Ranged Accuracy = 8 + 14 + 2
Ninjutsu Accuracy = 8 + 14 + 2
Melee Dodge = 8 + 14
Ranged Dodge = 4 + 14
Ninjutsu Dodge = 4 + 14
Genjutsu Difficulty = 8 + 14
Genjutsu Save = 8 + 14
Awareness + 2[/spoilername]|

Sunahoshi Katsuo
Spawn of the Villain Primus
HP: 25313 [-2626][-420 Bleed I (ignored)] 22687 [+3135] 25822
CP: 20764 [+1320] [-3485] 17279
AP: 11.5 [-] 1 roll over[/col3]

[col3]

Shiori Clone #1
HP: 1530 [-538]
CP: 1530 [-380]
AP: 3.5|

Shiori Clone #2
HP: 1530 [-430]
CP: 1530 [-380]
AP: 3.5|

Shiori Clone #3
HP: 1530 [-1695]
CP: 1530
AP: 3.5
Poofed[/col3]

What Happened?

0.00 Seconds | Katsuo maintains Chakra Gates (Master Rank), Sword of Oblivion, and Storm Call (Master Rank). Gates #1 through #7 are active.

Random Limb Gate Backlash: 1 Arms, 2 Legs, 3 Head, 4 Hand, 5 Feet, 6 Neck, 7 Heart, 8 Weapon. Roll: 3, 8, 1, 5, 7 Head, Weapon, Arms, Feet, Heart all Sprained.

0.00 Seconds | 3 lightning bolts from Storm Call strike at the beginning of the round targeting Katsuo to heal for half the damage they deal.
0.00 Seconds | Shiori maintains Body Double [Mastered].
Genjutsu Check (Shiori) 16 Success, this jutsu persists and Katsuo is unaware
Genjutsu Check (Katsuo) 2[/list]
0.00 Seconds | Katsuo casts Cancel (Master Rank) as a free action due to Willpower.

Chance to automatically dispel this jutsu. Roll: 4 Success, this genjutsu is dispelled.

0.00 Seconds | Kazuki maintains Corpse Soil and Abysmal Harbinger.
0.00 Seconds | Kazuki activates Dark Invitation.

Ninjutsu Check (Kazuki) 12 Success
Ninjutsu Check (Shiori) 10
Ninjutsu Check (Kazuki) 19 Success
Ninjutsu Check (Katsuo) 2

0.00 Seconds | Shiori activates Dark Invitation.

Ninjutsu Check (Shiori) 3 Failure
Ninjutsu Check (Kazuki) 16
Ninjutsu Check (Shiori) 9 Success
Ninjutsu Check (Katsuo) 7
Ninjutsu Check (Shiori) 18 Success
Ninjutsu Check (Youkai) 2
Ninjutsu Check (Shiori) 11 Success
Ninjutsu Check (Harbinger) 7

0.45 Seconds | Katsuo activates Defensive Mode to trade -4 Accuracy for +4 Dodge.
1.50 Seconds | Kazuki casts Thunderclap [Mastered] in an attempt to find Shiori.

Awareness (Kazuki) 5 Success, Kazuki may target Shiori
Stealth (Shiori) 3
- 1.50 Seconds | Shiori casts Stunt Double [Mastered] with Elemental Clone (Lightning) [Mastered] using the special action to create 3 clones using AE special move control as a reactionary activated auto-dodge.
  - Awareness (Kazuki) 17 Failure, Kazuki does not know who the real Shiori is
    Stealth (Shiori) 19

2.50 Seconds | Kazuki's Abyssal Harbinger attempts to basic strike attack Shiori.

Awareness (Kazuki) 5 Failure, the Harbinger does not target the stealthed Shiori.
Stealth (Shiori) 7
- Random Clone. Clone #3
  Attack (Harbinger) 16 Hit, aware
  Evasion (Clone 3) 2

2.73 Seconds | Katsuo casts Gate of Death (Master Rank).
3.00 Seconds | Kazuki casts Thunderclap [Mastered] at all Shioris.

Awareness (Kazuki) 9 Failure, attacks will be divided among the clones.
Stealth (Shiori) 11
- Attack (Kazuki) 18 Hit, aware
  Evasion (Shiori Clone 1) 15
  Attack (Kazuki) 10 Hit, aware
  Evasion (Shiori Clone 2) 1
  Attack (Kazuki) 15 hit, aware
  Evasion (Shiori Clone 3) 2
  Attack (Kazuki) 11 Hit
  Evasion (Shiori Clone 1) 13
  Attack (Kazuki) 11 Hit
  Evasion (Shiori Clone 2) 1
  Attack (Kazuki) 15 Hit
  Evasion (Shiori Clone 3) 9
  - Destroyed
  Attack (Kazuki) 9 50% hit
  Evasion (Shiori Clone 1) 15

5.79 Seconds | Shiori's Clones attack Kazuki with Thunderclap [Mastered].

Clone 1:
- Attack (Clone) 11 50% Hit
  Evasion (Kazuki) 11
  Attack (Clone) 7 Hit
  Evasion (Kazuki) 1
  Attack (Clone) 15 Hit
  Evasion (Kazuki) 5
  Attack (Clone) 3
  Evasion (Kazuki) 1
  Attack (Clone) 12
  Evasion (Kazuki) 12
  Attack (Clone) 5
  Evasion (Kazuki) 20
  Attack (Clone) 6
  Evasion (Kazuki) 20
Clone 2:
- Attack (Clone) 9 Hit
  Evasion (Kazuki) 5
  Attack (Clone) 14 Hit
  Evasion (Kazuki) 7
  Attack (Clone) 4 Miss
  Evasion (Kazuki) 13
  Attack (Clone) 5 Miss
  Evasion (Kazuki) 17
  Attack (Clone) 5 Miss
  Evasion (Kazuki) 13
  Attack (Clone) 6 50% Hit
  Evasion (Kazuki) 6
  Attack (Clone) 13
  Evasion (Kazuki) 16

5.00 Seconds | Kazuki attempts to bind Shiori with Shadow Possession - Shadow Binding Technique.

Attack (Kazuki) 9 Failure
Evasion (Shiori) 18

5.00 Seconds | Kazuki attempts to bind Shiori with Shadow Possession - Shadow Binding Technique.

Attack (Kazuki) 8 Success
Evasion (Shiori) 4

5.00 Seconds | Kazuki's zombies attempt to strike Shiori.

Awareness 1 Failed
Stealth 16
Awareness 2 Failed
Stealth 9
Awareness 3 Failed
Stealth 16
Awareness 15 Success, may target
Stealth 3
- Zombie 4 (Attack) 5 Hit
  Shiori (Evasion) 2
  Shiori is no longer in stealth, this attack is considered concurrent with other attacks at 5s.
Awareness 18 Success, may target
Stealth 3
- Zombie 5 (Attack) 6 Miss
  Shiori (Evasion) 19

5.00 Seconds | Kazuki's Abyssal Harbinger attacks Shiori with a basic strike.

Awareness (Harbinger) 18 success, may target
Stealth (Shiori) 5
- Attack (Harbinger) 16 Hit
  Evasion (Shiori) 11
  - 12% chance of 'searing' the target. 60 Failed

5.00 Seconds | Kazuki's Youkai Summon uses Utter Chaos – A-Rank Genjutsu (Visual) targeting Shiori.

This has no effect on Shiori due to her Hashigaki passive skill: Sonar even if she was targeted.

6.00 Seconds | Shiori casts Rasengan: Sound Element (NE and Wind) [Mastered] using jutsu expansion to increase this to an A Rank jutsu. The chakra cost for this will be taken from my Corrupted Energy Pool using AE special move Debilitate taken from her Corrupted energy Pool.

Random Target: 1 Kazuki, 2 Katsuo, 3 Youkai, 4 Harbinger. Roll: 1 (Kazuki)
Attack (Shiori) 16 Hit
Evasion (Kazuki) 9
Took 3 seconds to cast.
- 'Wind Slice' effect. 5 Success Bleed II
  'Non-elemental' effect. 18 Success

6.00 Seconds | Kazuki attempts to bind Shiori with Shadow Possession - Shadow Binding Technique.

Attack (Kazuki) 1 Success
Evasion (Shiori) 1

7.50 Seconds | Kazuki's Abyssal Harbinger attacks Shiori with a basic strike.

Attack (Harbinger) 12 50% Hit
Evasion (Shiori) 12
- Shiori is no longer bound.

7.50 Seconds | Kazuki attempts to bind Shiori with Shadow Possession - Shadow Binding Technique.

Attack (Kazuki) 20 Hit, Shiori is bound
Evasion (Shiori) 14

8.00 Seconds | Shiori casts Reapers Gaze on Kazuki using her Enthralling Voice.

Attack (Shiori) 9 Success, Kazuki is bound
Resist (Kazuki) 6
- Shiori is no longer bound

10.0 Seconds | Kazuki's Youkai Summon uses Venomous Bite – A-Rank Ninjutsu targeting Shiori.

Attack (Youkai) 12 Hit
Evasion (Shiori) 8

[/list][/list]
10.0 Seconds | Shiori's Clones attack Kazuki with Thunderclap [Mastered].

Clone 1:
- Attack (Clone) 12 Hit
  Evasion (Kazuki) 9
  Attack (Clone) 15 Hit
  Evasion (Kazuki) 16
  Attack (Clone) 17 Hit
  Evasion (Kazuki) 5
  Attack (Clone) 7
  Evasion (Kazuki) 11
  Attack (Clone) 9
  Evasion (Kazuki) 18
  Attack (Clone) 12
  Evasion (Kazuki) 12
  Attack (Clone) 7
  Evasion (Kazuki) 7
Clone 2:
Attack (Clone) 12 Hit
Evasion (Kazuki) 12
Attack (Clone) 6 Hit
Evasion (Kazuki) 6
Attack (Clone) 13 Hit
Evasion (Kazuki) 9
Attack (Clone) 6
Evasion (Kazuki) 17
Attack (Clone) 14
Evasion (Kazuki) 18
Attack (Clone) 15
Evasion (Kazuki) 7
Attack (Clone) 3
Evasion (Kazuki) 18

[/list]

!

Katsuo's main attack was based on a reactionary. As he was never targeted this round he was never able to use his reactionary that set off a chain reaction.
Edited AP timings, made a mistake. Reaper's Gaze went off at a different point. 8 seconds.
I had an error in my AP so Leech Seal's attack did not happen.
Kazuki ends the round unbound.

Michi · Jun 11, 2017

”You are making this harder than you have to be. Cease. You will not win against both of us and your endurance will not last forever.”

Kazuki announced as his shadows reached out for her time and time again. Sometimes they would grip and hold, other times they would break and she would dash away and regroup with an attack of her own. In the blink of the eye there was not one but three of her, but none the real cornered combatant. "I only need to last longer than the two of you," she huffed from her hiding place, her voice reverberated off the walls in an eerie manner only she was capable of. "I refuse to roll over and die... to let you Sunans cut me to pieces or tether me for centuries to a mediocre blade!" She sounded angry and that was because she was. She was like a cornered wild animal and her instinct screamed for her to fight for her survival.

Luck was on her side, she was wearing away at them both but they were also chipping away at what little she had left. She had a few tricks left up her sleeve but she did not know how long she was going to last. Kazuki had a rather obvious pattern, he was going to break free of her bind and upon liberation he would try to bind her in turn. She would break free, his hold could never last and would prove fleeting. It was telling because that was likely similar to how his love life was also. He could be credited with attempting to strike all of her when multiples are involved. It pushes back what precious time he has. A thin smile eclipsed her naked lips. She could not do much, but she could make sure their their victory was less sweet.

Actions said:
Use Corrupted Energy as much as I can

0 AP - Maintain Clones

1.5 AP Clones all attack Kazuki with Thunderclap until he has been struck 3 times or KO'd, then the remainder is directed at Katsuo. [Conditional #1]

1.5 AP Clones all attack Kazuki with Thunderclap until he has been struck 3 times or KO'd, then the remainder is directed at Katsuo. [Conditional #2]

1 AP Transformation to appear as Kazuki.

2.5 AP | Shiori performs Energy Transfer [Mastered] against Kazuki and Kazuki's Youkai using AE special moves spread and feint and Hashigaki's Sound Crystallization to convert the jutsu into a Sound jutsu. She maintains her hold until she is resisted. [Conditional 3]

3 AP | Shiori casts Flock of Shadows [Mastered] the first time she is attacked AFTER she transforms into Kazuki as a reactionary. [Conditional #4]

2 AP | Shiori performs Tempest [Mastered] against Kazuki, Kazuki's Youkai and Katsuo using AE special moves spread and Control as well as Hashigaki's Sound Crystalization to convert the jutsu into a Sound Jutsu.

Drink Energy drinks all remaining AP

Mikaboshi · Jun 12, 2017

[col]The sand around Katsuo's feet bubbled with heat as he touched down on it at last, the magnetic currents which ferociously cycled around his body relaxing enough for him to set down on ground once more. His breath came evenly in this state but the feeling of condensed power was impossible to describe. Was this what the One King had been like all the time? Taking his first step forward since the full completion of the Exaltation process, Katsuo pushed off with his opposite foot and crossed the distance between where he'd been standing at the heart of the crater that had formed beneath him and the lip of the crater in a span of a single step. The unleashed power of the Spark had clarified his vision and shattered the illusion that Shiori had cast about his eyes and again he could see her and Kazuki clearly as themselves again but now it looked like they were moving in slow motion. Shinobi were extremely quick as compared to normal human beings and in this elevated state that line was pushed even further.
Each shift of their bodies, the tightening of muscles and movement of joints as they dodged and weaved through each other's attacks. Each moment was as an open book to Katsuo who was still acclimating to the power that he'd unleashed. Still... despite all of his power there was one thing that nagged at the back of his mind.

He was dying.

The Spark was not meant for be wielded by mortal hands. For all of the power it granted him, the strain was too great for his body to handle and even at that moment he could feel the magnetic currents that suffused his form with indescribable strength and speed tearing him apart from inside out. Blood unconsciously dribbled from the side of his mouth but Katsuo could not feel it. In fact, he could feel no pain at all. He knew the injuries he'd sustained were still there and in fact being exacerbated by the strain of Exaltation but he could no longer feel them. It meant that he was on the clock now. If this fight wasn't brought to a close soon the power of Exaltation and the Spark of Primus would pull him apart.

Storm and magnetic chakra pooling in bursts of energy around his body that lanced through the ground around him, Katsuo took another step forward and in that moment was once again present in the battle between Shiori and Kazuki. He knew that there was a good chance that Kazuki would get caught up in his attacks but so far Shiori had proven she was too cunning to hold back. He had to take that chance and let Kazuki worry about himself. Katsuo was sure that the ANBU Sennin would understand, in the end.|[legend="[[b][u]OOC Notes[/u][/b]] - [BGM]"]

Sunahoshi Katsuo - The Last Sunahoshi

Actions

Maintain Chakra Gates (Master Rank), Sword of Oblivion, Storm Call (Master Rank) and Gate of Death (Master Rank). [685 CP/rnd + 2,000 HP/rnd]

Gates #1 through #7 are active and have their effects doubled except where noted.

3 lightning bolts from Storm Call strike at the beginning of the round targeting myself to heal for half the damage they deal.

De-activate Defensive Mode. [0 AP / 0 CP]

Use Acupuncture (Ability) to invert my Called Shot: Head penalties for a full round. This also reduces it by one level at the end of the round. [0.5 AP / 0 CP]

Use Acupuncture (Ability) to invert my Called Shot: Arms penalties for a full round. This also reduces it by one level at the end of the round. [0.5 AP / 0 CP]

Use Acupuncture (Ability) to invert my Called Shot: Weapon penalties for a full round. This also reduces it by one level at the end of the round. [0.5 AP / 0 CP]

Cast Evening Mammoth (Master Rank) targeting Shiori. [2.75 AP / 2,478 CP]

Conditional #1: If an effect causes me to see Shiori as Kazuki at the time this attack is used then target both Kazuki and Shiori with Evening Mammoth.

Activate Overflow augment to increase damage by 15% and CP cost by 30%

Conditional #2: If I've identified the real Shiori then activate Bandage Wraps augment to combo into next Taijutsu. [0.5 AP / 0 CP]

Conditional #3: If I've activated Bandage Wraps then cast Afternoon Tiger (Master Rank) targeting Shiori [2.75 AP / 2,376 CP]

Activate Overflow augment to increase damage by 15% and CP cost by 30%

Cast Fist of Sin (Master Rank) targeting Shiori [3.75 AP / 1,442 CP + 1,236 HP]

Use Special Action Wrath to add a second hit and increase AP cost by 1 and HP/CP cost by 20%.

Conditional #4: If an effect causes me to see Shiori as Kazuki at the time this attack is used then use Special Action Sloth instead of Wrath to target both Shiori and Kazuki.

Activate Overflow augment to increase damage by 15% and CP cost by 30%

Cast Gates of Babylon targeting Shiori [3 AP / 3700 CP]

Use Affinity Move Focus to grant +2 Accuracy and +1 Critical Range.

Conditional #5: If an effect causes me to see Shiori as Kazuki at the time this attack is used then use Affinity Move Spread instead of Focus to target both Kazuki and Shiori.

Use Sword of Oblivion's Special Action to convert from Ninjutsu Accuracy to Melee Accuracy.

Spend any remaining AP to re-roll missed strikes from Gates of Babylon.

Cast Cancel (Master Rank) [0 AP / 0 CP]

Free cast granted by Willpower ability.

[/legend][/col]

Senju Kazuki · Jun 13, 2017

[col]

”I only need to last longer than the two of you.” she would note. Suna was a clever one, she had created three identical clones of her and, at the same time, hid away. Her voice reverberated from the walls in an eerie manner. Was he a different, scaredy man, Kazuki would have pissed his pants, but he wasn’t. He did not know fear and he had seen stuff that would make others insane, and yet here he was, still sane. Or as sane as he could be. ”I refuse to roll over and die… to let you Sunans cut me to pieces or tether me for centuries to a mediocre blade!” Shiori would lash out. The Senju Overlord did not answer her immediately as he wanted to speak to the real Suna, not mere replicates that had no purpose beyond confusing them and serving as meat shields. He would unleash a barrage of lightning strikes that would tell him where her was. ”You Sunans? I think you are confusing me for someone else. You are more Sunan than me. I am the least Sunan of this entire village. And you could not comprehend what I want, even you tried for the rest of your entire forsaken existence.” the White Wolf would rebuke her, anger blatant in his voice.

There was no one in Sunagakure that could understand his plight, not completely. No Human or Ancient had the ability to comprehend what he had been through, because he was part of neither world. Ancients, perhaps, had suffered as much as him, but they would never see eye to eye, because they had completely different points of view. Unless he was to suffer a second transformation, he would be forever divided between his Human side, his Ancient side and whatever else he had inside of him. ”I do not know what you are trying to achieve here. But if that is trying to make an enemy out of me, congratulations. Pat yourself in the back, you are succeeding.” the Ranger Lord would warn her. He was reaching a threshold and, Zabuchi forbid, if he were to surpass it.

Actions:
Activate Dark Invitation on Shiori.
Cast Water Dragon Bullet - Mastered (3 AP) on Shiori. Turning it into Shadow via Nara's Shadow bend and use my corrupted energy pool. Use Affinity move debilitate and Feint
Cast Scorn of Aquarius - Mastered (3 AP) on Shiori. Turning it into Shadow via Nara's Shadow bend. This will be considered the follow up jutsu if Water Dragon Bullet cascade effect takes place. Use Affinity move Overcharge and Feint and it is to be cast from my Corrupted energy pool.
Cast Sand Stars - Mastered (2 AP) on Shiori from my Corrupted Energy pool. Use Affinity move Focus and Feint
Cast Cluster Attack - Mastered (2 AP) (Special Action: Bludgeoning) on Shiori from my Corrupted Energy pool. Use Affinity move Spread and Feint

Youkai S Rank Summon (6 AP total)
Use Venomous Bite – A-Rank Ninjutsu (3 AP) targeting Shiori and her clones
Use Venomous Bite – A-Rank Ninjutsu (3 AP) targeting Shiori (using Melee accuracy)

Conditionals
Cast Flock of Shadows - Mastered (3AP) to dodge the first attack from Shiori on me, using my corrupted energy pool.
Cast Thunderclap - Mastered (1.5 AP) on Shiori and her clones, if she gains a new appearance, from my corrupted energy pool.
Stop all attacks if Shiori becomes KO.

|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqiv8qpY780][b][u]Strength of the Senju[/u][/b][/url]]"]

Senju Kazuki – Occult Sennin

[/legend][/col]

Sand Council · Jun 13, 2017

[col3]

Senju Kazuki
HP: 6261 [+1170 Healing Factor][+255] [-5782][-780 Bleed II] 1124
Gen damage cannot be healed
CP: 1995
Corrupted Energy: 8394 [-2750] [+255] 5899
AP: 10
[spoilername="Passives"]Journeyman (Main Branch): Jutsu cost -5% Chakra.
Jutsu Mastery: All Jutsu cost -10% Chakra, this includes Maintains. All Chakra cost penalties from choosing to use 'Special Actions' are halved.

Meaning there is a 15% Chakra Cost reduction total.

Shinobi 101 - Ninjutsu (Slashing Taijutsu with Ninjutsu Accuracy)
Summoner: A Creation's HP and CP are +5% Higher. The user may now have two different Creation Jutsu active at once; however, the second Creation Jutsu will be treated as Rank 1.
Initiative: The user is capable of prioritizing 1 AP worth of actions per round which are modded as 0 AP but all costs are paid as normal.
Conservative Motion: Jutsu effects that would increase Chakra Costs are negated. All Effects that have a chance of causing the user's action to fail are halved and all AP increasing effects are negated.
Clarity: The user is given a resistance check every round against Genjutsu as opposed to the normal round wait time. The user is always aware that they are in a Genjutsu unless the Genjutsu was treated as a Sneak Attack.
Concentrated Focus: The user's binds have a -5% chance of being escaped from and binds which break upon the user losing a portion of their Max HP or CP are now increased to 20% Max HP/CP.
Elementalist: The user may now use a Major Affinity Move and a Minor Affinity move upon a single Jutsu (Up to B Rank) Both affinity moves must be different, and the user must have a Major Affinity in the Element.
Duelist: always use this in a 1 v 1
Healing Factor: Regain 3% max HP every round
Strategist -- Nara You need to list your strat slots in your stats. You can use this for a free basic strike, place some poison on it, a sad version of quickdraw, to affix an E-note to something, etc.
Class: +5% Ninjutsu Damage
Shadow Bend: May convert Fire and Water Jutsu into Shadow at no extra cost. +15% Shadow Damage.
Shadow Tactics: +10% Damage, +1 Accuracy while in shade. While maintaining a bind or resting, they gain +3% HP/CP per round.

This is a total of +30% shadowy damage

[/spoilername]
[spoilername="Stats"]Ninjutsu Accuracy: 27
Genjutsu DC: 23
Melee Accuracy: 23
Ranged Accuracy: 19
Gen Save: 23 +2 (Slippery Mind)
Evasion: 23
Awareness: +2[/spoilername]|

Takahashi Shiori/Formerly Neophyte
HP: 5384 [+1033] [-23464] -17047
CP: 26 [-0] 26
Corrupted Energy: 1353 [+1033] [-1971] 415
AP: 10 [-10] 1
[spoilername="Passives"]+5% Chance of inflicting Secondary Effects (from Class Card ASP purchase)
Dark Sage
Hashigaki
Sentinel (ANBU Branch)
Shinobi 101: Visual Genjutsu are cast using Ninjutsu Accuracy
Elemental Illusion
Mind Overflow
Duelist
Shattered Reality
Willpower
Elementalist
Jutsu Expansionist
Sixth Sense
Tracker[/spoilername]
[spoilername="Stats"]Ninjutsu 27
Genjutsu DC 23
Ranged Taijutsu 23
Melee Taijutsu 23
Genjutsu Resistance 23
Evasion 23
Awareness
Stealth[/spoilername]|Kazuki's Youkai Contract
HP: 12793
CP: 10985
AP: 6

[spoilername="Stats"]Melee Accuracy = 10 + 14 + 2
Ranged Accuracy = 8 + 14 + 2
Ninjutsu Accuracy = 8 + 14 + 2
Melee Dodge = 8 + 14
Ranged Dodge = 4 + 14
Ninjutsu Dodge = 4 + 14
Genjutsu Difficulty = 8 + 14
Genjutsu Save = 8 + 14
Awareness + 2[/spoilername][/col3]

[col3]

Sunahoshi Katsuo
Spawn of the Villain Primus
HP: 25822 [-4269][-924 Bleed II] [+3135] 23764
CP: 17279 [+1320] [-6981] 11618
AP: 12|

Shiori Clone #1
Poof|

Shiori Clone #2
Poof[/col3]

What Happened?
0.00 Seconds | Kazuki activates his Dark Invitation.

Ninjutsu Check (Kazuki) 15 Success
Ninjutsu Check (Shiori) 10
Ninjutsu Check (Kazuki) 11Failed
Ninjutsu Check (Katsuo) 3
Ninjutsu Check (Kazuki) 4 Failed
Ninjutsu Check (Clone 1) 18
Ninjutsu Check (Kazuki) 2 Success
Ninjutsu Check (Clone 2) 3

0.00 Seconds | Shiori activates Dark Invitation.

Ninjutsu Check (Shiori) 8 Failed
Ninjutsu Check (Kazuki) 9
Ninjutsu Check (Shiori) 9 Success
Ninjutsu Check (Katsuo) 12
Ninjutsu Check (Shiori) 12 Failed
Ninjutsu Check (Youkai) 18

0.00 Seconds | Katsuo maintains Chakra Gates (Master Rank), Sword of Oblivion, Storm Call (Master Rank) and Gate of Death (Master Rank).
Gates #1 through #7 are active and have their effects doubled except where noted.

Random Limb Gate Backlash: 1 Arms, 2 Legs, 3 Head, 4 Hand, 5 Feet, 6 Neck, 7 Heart, 8 Weapon. Roll: 2, 7, 5, 4, 3. Head, Feet and Heart are Fractured. Legs, Hand, Weapon and Arms are Sprained.
20% Chance to disperse maintained jutsu. Roll: 60 Failed
20% Chance at the beginning of the round to stumble and lose 1 Ap. Roll: 78 Failed
Bleed II
0.00 Seconds | 3 lightning bolts from Storm Call strike at the beginning of the round targeting Katsuo to heal for half the damage they deal.
0.00 Seconds | Katsuo de-activate Defensive Mode.
0.00 Seconds | Shiori maintains her clones.
1.00 Seconds | Shiori uses Transformation to appear as Kazuki.
- Stealth (Shiori) 4 Failure
  Awareness (Katsuo) 8
  Stealth (Shiori) 5 Success, the Youkai cannot tell which is the real Shiori.
  Awareness (Youkai) 3
  Note: Kazuki cannot be fooled by this jutsu because Shiori is appearing as him.
0.42 Seconds | Katsuo uses his Acupuncture (Ability) to invert his Called Shot: Head penalties for a full round. This also reduces it by one level at the end of the round.
0.83 Seconds | Katsuo uses his Acupuncture (Ability) to invert his Called Shot: Arms penalties for a full round. This also reduces it by one level at the end of the round.
1.25 Seconds | Katsuo uses his Acupuncture (Ability) to invert his Called Shot: Weapon penalties for a full round. This also reduces it by one level at the end of the round.
3.00 Seconds | Kazuki cast Water Dragon Bullet - Mastered on Shiori. Turning it into Shadow via Nara's Shadow bend and use my corrupted energy pool. Use Affinity move debilitate and Feint.
- 3.00 Seconds | Shiori casts Flock of Shadows [Mastered] the first time she is attacked AFTER she transforms into Kazuki as a reactionary. to avoid this attack.
  Kazuki and the Youkai Contract summon do not know which is the real Shiori
  Katsuo has instant Clone recognition so he knows which is the real Shiori.
  - Incapable of using both debilitate and feint because this is an A Rank ninjutsu with the use of Elementalist. The second effect listed would not go off per order of operations, sorry.
3.54 Seconds | Katsuo cast Evening Mammoth (Master Rank) targeting Shiori. Due to the conditional "If an effect causes me to see Shiori as Kazuki at the time this attack is used then target both Kazuki and Shiori with Evening Mammoth" he will be targeting both Kazuki and Shiori. Additionally he will be activating his Overflow augment to increase damage by 15% and CP cost by 30%.
- Attack (Katsuo) 7 Hit
  Evasion (Shiori) 9
  Attack (Katsuo) 8 Hit, she is still up but only has a few HP left.
  Evasion (Shiori) 6
  Attack (Katsuo) 2 Hit
  Evasion (Kazuki) 8
  Attack (Katsuo) 8 Hit
  Evasion (Kazuki) 15
3.96 Seconds | As Katsuo has identified the real Shiori, Katsuo activates his Bandage Wraps augment to combo into next Taijutsu Afternoon Tiger (Master Rank) targeting Shiori. He again activates the Overflow augment to increase damage by 15% and CP cost by 30%.
- Attack (Katsuo) 2 Hit
  Evasion (Shiori) 3
  - Shiori is KO'd

7.09 Seconds | Katsuo cast Fist of Sin (Master Rank) targeting Shiori. Katsuo uses Special Action Wrath to add a second hit and increase AP cost by 1 and HP/CP cost by 20% and activates the Overflow augment to increase damage by 15% and CP cost by 30%.
7.09 Seconds | Katsuo cast Cancel (Master Rank) as a free cast granted by Willpower ability.

!	Katsuo lacked the AP to also do Gates of Babylon. I think Shiori is KO'd. Kazuki's attacks were stopped upon KO as written but the damages would have been significantly higher if they went through due to 2 Contract Summon attacks, 1 A rank and 2 C Rank attacks all hitting.

Michi · Jun 13, 2017

”You Sunans? I think you are confusing me for someone else. You are more Sunan than me. I am the least Sunan of this entire village. And you could not comprehend what I want, even you tried for the rest of your entire forsaken existence.”

"Look at the banner you don. Look at the station you have been placed in. You are every bit a Sunan as the rest of them!" She shouted, there was a tone of anger in betrayal in her voice as she rebuked him. She could feel the bile creeping up the back of her throat, it was bitter and it burned. She swallowed hard and her hands snapped through a brief array as she tried to outlast them. She was not going to last. A part of her knew it but there was a streak of indignant pride that wanted to knock Kazuki down with her so she transformed into the hybrid. He was the closest thing she had to a brother and that was a sad fact, less she counted the Deep Court Lord himself whose word she could not count on ironically much like his descendant. Shortly after she declared war on Sunagakure because of the trespasses committed against Mikaboshi, Mikaboshi had apparently come to some sort of terse agreement with the upper echelon. While she might be capricious at times, even she was not quite that fickle. So she would simply find herself alone. They say that everyone dies alone, why should I be an exception," she commented.

”I do not know what you are trying to achieve here. But if that is trying to make an enemy out of me, congratulations. Pat yourself in the back, you are succeeding.”

She was not going to give up but she was also not to succeed. Katsuo saw through her ruse, she was close but not close enough. He was also prepared in case she tried such a trick and partook in a reckless act as he prepared to take her down. Chakra and pure electrical energy was accumulating about Katsuo's fist but before he could strike Kazuki came for her. In a puff of displaced dust or smoke she disappeared leaving nothing in her wake and in the place she now stood she was adjacent to two others that looked just like her... or in this case rather, HIM. The clones scurried and separated from the real Ancient and she hoped it would be enough to confuse Katsuo long enough that he might take down the hybrid threat for her. She was nearly successful but this time Katsuo was prepared. Katsuo was simply going to attack them both, ally or not as it appeared to be irrelevant whoever Kazuki was in this matter.

Katsuo's fist would strike her in the face. He would hear her skull crack under his blow, or at the very least what felt like a broken bone. In reality he has fractured her carapace, yes he cracked her shell and the effulgence housed within. It hid her song which erupted from her in a wail. A spiderweb-like design could be seen in her indented flesh where what would prove to be the moment before the final combination of blows would render her unconscious. His assault did not end with a second blow that sent her reeling back, she would fall backwards, her head cracking onto the ground making a sharp sound on impact. Bits of flesh-colored porcelain would break away, revealing a hollow creature less the whirling sand that seemed to have a life of its own but even the sands within and the the terrible sound that was heard would decrescendo to silence and stillness. She was not dead, but she was also not very alive. Her pale blue eyes were open, staring forward and the expression on her face seemed inhuman. It was as if she was a mannequin, the face expressionless and lifeless much like the eyes which one would have thought was made of glass. Her left hand was gone, it was hardly there anyways as it had been burned off some time before this fray but the earth, stone or sand that had made what semblance of hand she was in fact using was blackened and charred but not from this day.

Knocked Out

What did Ancients dream about when they died? Nothing. It was worse than a nightmare because she was aware, she just could not do anything about it and she still felt pain. She would feel the barrage of blows that would follow, shattering hunks of her torso, revealing a pile of gilded sand inside. She would likely die soon, knowing she was hated but at least she was not a coward this time. She did not console herself with thoughts of a happily ever after, her fate was a certainty at this point. They would endeavor to find a way to kill her completely, experimenting as they did so or they would lock her away in a box at the bottom of a sea at the furthest point of a hidden cave where she could be alone for the rest of her protracted existence. Yes, she knew how they thought. How they likely plotted and planned this. How they would relish her end. But she would be back eventually, even if time, pain and loneliness drove her mad because for now she was quite sane. She hated because she hated. Because she was hurt and she wanted them to hurt in return. Because she was alone and she was angry.

Do with her what you will.

Mikaboshi · Jun 14, 2017

Shiori wilted before his attacks but the momentum given to him by the Spark of Primus didn't allow Katsuo to stop. Knowing as he did the durability of the Sovereign Academy agents, Katsuo didn't fully stop attacking until he was certain that she was down for good but as she lay decimated before him his eyes focused through the haze of anger and adrenaline cast upon them and he took in what was happening to her body. She crumbled into a sort of golden sand that came to him as familiar in a deeply personal way. Much in a similar fashion to attempting to remember a word which remained on the tip of his tongue just out of reach, his memory flailed trying to pull from whence he recalled this person who bled gilded earth and finally as he forced the Spark of Primus back into dormancy causing the waves of sand and blood orbiting his body to fall unceremoniously to the ground around him Katsuo remembered.

It came to him in fragments at first, vestiges from the memories that Mikaboshi had left in his mind's eye. The Deep King had no recollection of this appearance of her's but the part of Katsuo that had shared the very essence of the Lord of the Deep Court recognized her and as that realization came to him so too did the enormity of the mistake he'd just committed. Stumbling backwards slightly under the strain of the damaged tissues and muscles of his body, Katsuo fell to a single knee before where Suna lay broken on the sand and he remembered the words that Mikaboshi had said to him when he'd finally convinced Mikaboshi to put a moratorium on his reckless vendetta.

The intentions of his actions are irrelevant. There is only what he chose to do and nothing more

"Suna's breath..." He swore, the irony of those curse words going entirely unnoticed by him. "This isn't how I wanted to meet you."

In the back of his mind he'd known since the severing of the union between he and Mikaboshi that at some point in the future he would need to face the Lady of the Earth Court and unlike Mikaboshi she had never been no minor lord. In the short time they'd crossed paths Suna had proven herself once of the most dangerous opponents he'd ever done battle with and in that moment he understood why. He could almost feel Mikaboshi's disapproving scowl. In his actions here by joining forces against her with Kazuki and striking her down he'd only proven Mikaboshi right in that there could be no true cessation of hostilities between them. No end to the fighting. Not really. Letting his head hang, Katsuo blinked a few times wearily. He was tired from the overuse of the Spark of Primus and the injuries he'd sustained were flooding back into feeling for him. Several of his bones were fractured and he was bleeding quite a lot and that was discounting all of the blood he'd already lost.

No. A sudden upwelling of determination swelled from within him and denied the trepidation and fear he was feeling. He could fix this. Despite the overwhelming sense of failure that pulled at the fringes of his mind, Katsuo refused to let it break him. He'd come so far and there was a piece of him, that very same piece that had pushed him to come to Sunagakure in the first place, to claim Tatsumasa and then fought to bring him back from the brink again and again during his struggles with Mikaboshi, that refused to lose. When they'd first done battle, Suna had said something very significant and her words popped back into Katsuo's mind as his mind grasped at a way to come back from this.

That is my portfolio.

Lightning coursed down his arms and he swallowed hard. Could he really do that? If the idea which occurred to him worked then it would almost certainly mean the power of the Spark of Primus and of Exaltation would be lost to him forever and even then there were impossibly long odds. Even still... he'd made a promise to Mikaboshi, too. Just as he'd promised to Sousuke and Kaito that he'd fight to build Wind Country into a better world and he'd promised Naganisa to help her recover from the pain of her former life, he'd promised Mikaboshi that he would mend the relations between their people. Reaching forward, Katsuo placed his hand upon Suna's still chest and focused.

The source of that power had originally come from Suna following the death of Fuujin and Homura and Katsuo hoped that he could use the power of the Spark to breathe life back into Suna before she was lost to the aetheric currents once more. The Spark would be expended in the process and his powers lost to him but what good was a king who could not honor the words of his promises? Energy surged around his body and crackled through the air once more as the power of the Spark filled his limbs for the last time. Blood speckled his lips as a cough wracked him, his body far from in significant enough health to be attempting what he was doing, but he was undeterred. He had not been born with the ability to wield the Sunahoshi's ability to manipulate the magnetic currents that allowed them to form the diamond sands but his bond with the Spark of Primus had allowed him to claim that power... and so much more.

And now he was giving it back.|[legend="[[b][u]OOC Notes[/u][/b]] - [BGM]"]

Sunahoshi Katsuo - The Last Sunahoshi

[/legend][/col]

Senju Kazuki · Jun 14, 2017

[col]

”Look at the banner you don. Look at the station you have been placed in. You are every bit a Sunan as the rest of them.” Suna would shout back, her voice carrying a tone of anger that matched Kazuki’s. ”If that is so, then you are as much Sunan as I am. And that means you are the one that is committing acts of betrayal, not us. Get your act together.” the Senju Overlord would shout back. Apart from his family, and especially his returned sister, Suna would be the closest thing he would have to family. But this was a very dysfunctional family, whose trust levels were as low as possible. Especially considering there several full humans he trusted more than the Earth Queen. She was still kin though and there was no way to rubber it out of his genealogy.

The odds were severely stacked against her and there was little chance for her to win this fight. Katsuo’s timely appearance, ultimately, turned the tide completely in the White Wolf’s favor, even if she mounted an impressive resistance for a while. In the end though, no matter how stout she was, no matter how tough she was, Suna fell before an unforgiving offense by the last Sunahoshi. Such remorseful attack even stroke the Ranger Lord, a casualty of war as it were. Luckily, unlike Shiori, the Occult Sennin retained his consciousness and witnessed as Katsuo kept attacking and did not stop until Suna was an empty shell. She no longer moved and she was barely alive. Her skin had cracked in multiple places as if she had an outer shell made of porcelain. The interior made of whistling red sands were visible in multiple points.

Midway through the Jounin’s assault, Reaper fell to the floor, back first, no longer able to sustain himself up. He was too tired and he was breathing heavily. He knew he had won against an Ancient. With help, but he had won. Were it not for Katsuo, he would have lost, but not as easily as Suna considered possible. He had proven to be stronger than anyone’s beliefs. He had proven, just in Konohagakure before, he was a force to be reckoned with. As tired as he was, curiosity would win the imaginary contest of wills and he would find himself using his elbows to raise himself and check what was going on. The fate of Suna was still undetermined and he had to be a part of it. He had no desire in killing her, but he could not say the same about Katsuo. He was not aware of who she was or why they were fighting. But what could Kazuki tell him?

Ultimately, there was no need to tell the other guy who the woman was. He would recognize her himself, although through what means? ”This isn’t how I wanted to meet you.” he would speak. An odd choice of words, because they could imply they had never meet each other, but somehow, Katsuo knew who she was. Who was this guy? ”Who are you? And who do you think she is?” the Senju Overlord would question him. There was a mystery there, one that needed to be cracked. Something that could not wait for another time.

The last Sunahoshi would begin to spark again as he approached the fallen Mother Suna. Was he going to end her? If so, there was nothing the White Wolf could do. He barely had any energy left and he was extensively damage. He could feel his body healing itself already, but it would take quite some time before he could anything significant, like stopping a Juggernaut from killing her. In the end though, although uncertain and lacking any real proof, it would the last man in the line of Primus was attempting something different. The Pale Rider recalled how he had heard Sousuke talking about how Suna had given the Sunahoshi a present, a part of her own portfolio. Was Katsuo giving it back in the hopes of saving her? Unable to take any immediate action, the Sennin could only watch things unfold.

|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqiv8qpY780][b][u]Strength of the Senju[/u][/b][/url]]"]

Senju Kazuki – Occult Sennin

[/legend][/col]

Michi · Jun 15, 2017

Gone but not departed, she was aware. The porcelain continued to crack and collapse under its own weight, shattering as it fit the floor with a sharp sound. The sparkling sands slowed and eventually ceased, it would lose its luster and in this moment of mortality became dark and dead. Death was experienced by everything, including Ancients. They just experienced death in a different way. They had no soul, they had a tangible essence always -- hers being earth at her truest core.

"Suna's breath..."

The irony.

"This isn't how I wanted to meet you."

It was not how she wanted to meet him either. She was roiling with rage, not that her thoughts could be heard. She would have rather met him in a pool of his own blood but this was not her day. She wondered what they would do, they knew her remains were 'dangerous' because she could leech life from whatever made contact and use their essence to reform. It happened passively, even if she chose to ignore the oppertunity it was going to happen. She had no love for mankind, so she would have no reason to delay or try to resist when the oppertunity arose.

He was not being cautious. He planted his hand on her remains and she took her change without hesitation. The pernicious sands started to ensconce his hands and creep up his arms, twisting like a vine as they reached out for him. She was going to kill him after all. War might have rules but she was not about to follow them, rules were nothing more than a handicap for the victor so that something else could knock the king off their hill. But she did not take, she was given life essence. A flash of light, like a bolt of lightning went off and a thunderous, deafening noise called attention to the transaction between them. The sand that was attempting to draw from him burst, the sand became crystalline shards not unlike the dangerous shards that occupied the maelstrom. Yes, the Sunahoshi were responsible for the dangerous storm that both protected and plagued Sunagakure for the past few decades. Like ruby and gilded, sometimes blackened diamonds, the ruined Ancient remained dead on the floor. Did he fail to revive her? No, but the essence of an Ancient is nothing like the essence of a man. The difference was overwhelming.

Katsuo was a hybrid. A created hybrid naturally born, a rare thing. It was what happened when an Ancient imbues their essence into a human and it becomes a part of them and it becomes their legacy. Their energy is not something humans are intended to possess, it is why hybrids of natural birth were so rare. Not only due to a lack of procreation between the two divergent species but also because the product of that union often lacked the fortitude to survive. In the case of a created Ancient, a hobby of Mikaboshi's apparently, a bit of their essence is given away. Often a small amount as it was toxic, often the thread of Ancient power was enough to take the life of the host. What she gave the Sunahoshi was not a single thread but rather a large portion of her portfolio that once relinquished was lost to her. It was the power over the storm. Power over the desert itself.

She could not take, she was already being given more than her fill. That power had been a part of the Sunahoshi line for generations and it was bound to their bones. It was easier to receive than it was to give it away in the case of a human and even when gifted with power it would prove fatal for most. It was a testament to his fortitude and determination that he was even able to try something that he likely never practiced. How did he even know how? The crystals, sparking with electricity would draw together, towards an unseen core. They would not come together in the same way they were previously. The rise of a chest. The twitch of a finger. She was feeling a bit more like herself as odd as that might be.

A rumbling voice would say a single name, "Primus."

Mikaboshi · Jun 15, 2017

[BGM]

It wasn't working. Katsuo had no training in the arts of putting people back together after they were broken, only breaking them in the first place. Bracing his right hand which rested upon Shiori's chest with his left hand, Katsuo concentrated harder on the task that he was attempting to perform but he lacked the knowledge to competently do what he was trying to do. Raw, unfiltered energy poured from his hand and into the disintegrating and motionless body of Suna and the pain from the excercise was beginning to become unbearable. His fingers blistered and burned as the power coursed through him not unlike a circuit that was trying to handle too much voltage filling the air around him with the rank smell of scorched skin.

"Live gods damn you." He half-whispered through a cough of blood that erupted from his throat. The power that he was trying to pull from his essence was bonded to him in such a way that tearing it away from himself was doing grievous damage to his internal organs and his body but even as his shoulders and arms shook from the pain that was blossoming in his chest and in his head, Katsuo refused to admit defeat.

Her essence is going to expire and it is your fault. Mikaboshi's voice echoed through the back of his mind like a haunting phantom. He knew that the Deep King was not there but it felt as though the weight of his judging gaze were squarely upon him.

"Shut up, you're not here." Katsuo gasped at the hallucination that he was experiencing as he desperately tried to ignore it.

All that talk about peace and the moment my back is turned you murder the only other one of my kind. What sort of message does that send, oathbreaker?

"You're not here." He was almost pleading now as blood freely poured from the sides of his mouth and down his chin, dripping into the sand beneath him. "You're... not here..."

"Primus."

Finally there was progress. Her chest began to rise and her voice filled his ears steeling his resolve and filling him with determination. It was working. He had no real idea what he was doing but the energy that moved between them was not stagnate in this. The power that the Spark of Primus had given to him was one of a legacy, it was a living energy source that contained decades of knowledge and skill that Katsuo had always leveraged before during battles and even though he didn't know what to do to save her life the Spark knew enough to facilitate what he wanted.

"Don't talk... trying to save... your life..." His own words were weak in volume and rasped from his throat in the way that a man who hadn't had anything to drink for many days might sound. It hurt to speak. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to blink.

Finally the transfer of energy ended but not because Katsuo had willed it to. He was empty. With his fingers burned black and smoking from the transfer of life energy and the red of his blood painting his face and chest, there was nothing left for him to give. His eyes sagging, Katsuo took in each breath at a ragged pace as a sharp pain filled his body with each inhale. He'd given much more than he had left to give and now his body was struggling to stay conscious and alive. Still. If he could bring Suna back, there was still a hope for peace between humanity and ancients. If that cost him his life then so be it. The life of a derelict prince in exchange for the end of a hostility which transcended generations of their peoples?

Fair enough, he thought as he collapsed to the side with an unceremonious thud.|[legend="[[b][u]OOC Notes[/u][/b]] - [BGM]"]

Sunahoshi Katsuo - The Last Sunahoshi

[/legend][/col]

Senju Kazuki · Jun 15, 2017

[col]

"Well crap." Kazuki would think as soon as he heard Suna speaking again. Whatever Katsuo had done, whatever he tried to pull off, it had worked in a horrendous way. The Paladin of Sunagakure had fallen unconscious, or even worse, dead. And their enemy, the so called Mother Suna, was conscious again. If there was a Freddy Kruger in this verse, he would be laughing maniacally. The Senju Overlord would muster whatever strength he had left in his broken body and he would take a seating position on the ground. If death was coming for him, then he would face it with the expected dignity of a proud Senju. "Do your best Suna. You can conquer my body, but my will will never falter." the White Wolf would conclude.

OC:
Nothing to do here.

|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqiv8qpY780][b][u]Strength of the Senju[/u][/b][/url]]"]

Senju Kazuki – Occult Sennin

[/legend][/col]

Michi · Jun 15, 2017

Knocking on Heaven's Door

"Live gods damn you."

He swore at her broken husk. She did not know or understand what he was doing or why he was doing it. How he knew how to relinquish the legacy and curse that was passed down to him. It hurt but it always hurt to be born just like it hurt to die. The question still she asked from the darkness -- why? History remembered the series of events that led to the end of the Ancient race differently depending on who was asked. Was she a tragic character? Yes, in her own way. Primus waged war, backed by the tribes of men for their freedom but the war did not end with their liberation. They hunted the courts down, razed their kingdoms and structures and the ultimate fate of those felled Ancients was a mystery to even her. Centuries later, she would never forget the losses she suffered and mankind would forget their trespasses against them as well as those they committed. That was actually the greatest offense, not that she had been wronged or that it was recompense for offenses she had committed but because they forgot these days long ago past and romanticized the world that once was.

"You killed us all."

She rumbled, her voice like grinding stones.

"Shut up, you're not here."

Odd. She was here and she even said so. "I am here."

"You're not here."

He repeated. "I'm..." Well, perhaps she was not. Maybe this was how he killed Homura and Fuujin. Their existence denied but they are not empowered by faith. Strange.

"You're... not here..."

Fine, I'm not. Her fingers curled, yes fingers. Her shattered body was reforming and she was very much there. Her wrist would twist and her elbow would bend. Her shoulder would start to reform, shards linking in place like an impossible jigsaw puzzle.

”Who are you? And who do you think she is?”

Her shoulder took form, cracked and pale that made way to a long, narrow throat. A torso, broken and thin, gaps large enough that one could fit a fist through, but the chest did rise and the fragments did shift. A leg, bent at the knee. A grinding breath taken again, she attempted to rise. She was barely capable, hunks of porcelain-like flesh still wiggling into place. She was alive, but far from 'fine.' She woke in time to see, well not exactly 'see' per-say but 'hear' Primus fall with an inglorious thud. Her mostly formed hand shot out like a viper and her long, fragile fingers wrapped around his throat. This was her chance to end Primus' bedeviled legacy. It was her chance but she did not take it. There were rules and there were immutable laws that even she would abide. "To the victor... the spoils," she would announce. Her entire profile had been returned to her, even in this dilapidated state she was more than capable. Resuscitate [Mastered]. Primus would not die today but sh would not watch him recover, she was not a friend, an ally or a lover. In that he was on his own. She can bring the nearly gone back from the cusp of death, the dead back but broken. He was neither, just torn and she just needed a spiritual needle and thread. A burst of healing energy would leave the fatigued and still reforming Ancient.

She did not wait to see if what she had done would be enough, she knew it would be. With a huff and a groan she would rise to her full height still more of porcelain and glass than the appearance of flesh and bone and unsteadily trudge towards Kazuki. She only had four words to say to him -- "I am not wrong." He would know what she was referring to and she was not going to elaborate further. She was going to leave the Toraono Dojo and venture into the desert. She lost and in games of war there was not a 'best of three.'

Attempt to Leave Topic

Mikaboshi · Jun 21, 2017

As Katsuo's face hit the sand, his vision swam before fading to black and the pain surging through his body was replaced by an airy feeling of nothingness. From the depths of his heart there was a piece of him that screamed at him to get back up. It said that he wasn't done. Still had work to do.

Katsuo's mind was almost too tired to argue the point but it did anyway despite the exhaustion that pulled at it's every thought. He'd done his part, hadn't he? Fought the good fight? The promise that he'd made to his master Garyou was that he would always leave the world a better place than he'd found it where ever he passed and while he hadn't always lived up to that ideal he'd done his best with the circumstances he'd been given. Wasn't that enough?

No, said his heart. It wasn't enough.

The people of Wind Country still suffered under the heel of a despot who cared nothing for anything but his own power. His father's murderers still walked free. And what would become of Sunagakure if he died? What of Sousuke? What of Naganisa? As their faces passed through his mind's eye, Katsuo's mind realized that the argument his heart was presenting was correct even if it so badly wished to be done.

No, answered his mind. It never would be.

Even as Suna reached out to gift some of the energy that Katsuo had fed into her form back into his body to revive him, Katsuo was beginning to rise once more. He felt the surge of power and immediately his mind came back to full consciousness... and in the process the pain that he was in came roaring back to confront him. He couldn't count how many of his bones must have been been broken or fractured and knew he was still bleeding internally. His naturally quickened healing rate would see to the fact that he would not die.. but he would be miserable and in recovery for some time. Falling back down into the sand as he tried to stand and chase after Suna who had now risen and was attempting to flee the scene, Katsuo struggled himself back to a kneeling position with great difficulty and reached out, summoning the force of his magnetic chakra to stop her from leaving... and found that he could not. Trying again as she passed by Kazuki, Katsuo was rewarded with a fresh burst of pain in his heart which threatened to send him back into unconsciousness as blackness surrounded his vision for a moment before he blinked it away and pushed past it.

Raising his arm once more, Katsuo tried again to halt her egress with his chakra and found some purchase in the natural magnetic currents around them but it was light enough where if Suna felt it at all she would only feel a gentle pulling sensation not unlike the feeling of someone placing their hand upon her shoulder. It was amazing that he was even conscious given his expenditure of chakra and even more impressive was the feat of being able to summon any energy at all to perform that smallest of parlor tricks but if Suna stopped to glance over her shoulder towards Katsuo she would find him determined not to let her leave just yet.

They weren't done. They still had work to do.|[legend="[[b][u]OOC Notes[/u][/b]] - [BGM]"]

Sunahoshi Katsuo - The Last Sunahoshi

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Senju Kazuki · Jun 21, 2017

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They were screwed. Whatever Katsuo was attempting to do, it had worked spectacularly well for Suna and, horrendously so for them. Kazuki did not know for certain what was going on, he could only guess the last Sunahoshi was doing some sort of energy transfer, though he was certain the guy was not doing no medical jutsu. But what was he transferring the exactly? His soul? Only a portion of it? Whatever it was, the Earth Queen would rise from the ground, looking much better. Better not appearance wise, but in terms of overall health. In fact, she seemed to exude an aura of power that was not present before. The Senju Overlord was well aware of how power levels rose when an Ancient took a soul, but this was different. She was different as if she had regained something long lost. The crownless king, on the other hand, was on the verge of death. Not because of the injuries he had sustained during the battle, which were very severe nonetheless, but because of the process he had initiated with Suna.

Fortunately for them, though, the Earth Queen’s plan of conquest seemed to have been cast away from her mind. She had her hand wrapped around the Sunahoshi’s throat, but she did not try to extinguish his flame, in fact, she did the opposite. A burst of healing energy would leave the ancient’s body and would enter the human’s. After that was done, she would walk toward the White Wolf. "I am not wrong." she would whisper to him. ”Yes you are. And I will make you see the error of your ways. Sooner or later you will see the truth.” Reaper would mutter back. Suna would simply walk toward the exit of room, bent on leaving the Toraono Dojo. The crownless king would eventually rise from his slumber and assume a kneeling position. His hand tried to reach out for the Earth Queen, although he was not trying to make physical contact. The Sennin assumed Katsuo was invoking his power to do try and stop her from leaving, but whatever means he was thinking of use to achieve that, proved fruitless. He either had no energy left to provoke a momentary halt in her momentum or she had acquired immunity to whatever powers he was trying to invoke there.

”Fleeing already Suna? Where did you send your minions? What they did do?” the Ranger Lord would question her. He heard the screams, he knew they had come close to them. Whatever she was doing, involved the habitants of the Toraono Dojo. And he was bent on believing the Senju were involved. He needed to know what she was doing.

|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqiv8qpY780][b][u]Strength of the Senju[/u][/b][/url]]"]

Senju Kazuki – Occult Sennin

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Michi · Jun 22, 2017

Her debt was paid, a life for a life. Strength for function and function for strength. It was always about commensurate transactions when it came to Ancients, an unseen and rarely spoke about but inherently understood balance. It was one of the things humans lacked in spades. It did not mean that there would be peace between them, in fact that was why her debts had to be paid. A victory would be hollow and incomplete against him in this way -- Primus killed her brothers and destroyed her way of life. She reduced gods to kings and they never realized when she 'gifted' them with a portion of her portfolio. All too common it is the folly of man not that he was weak but that he was often enticed by easier roads and showier powersets. Her fall was certainly the greater and she was keeping score but she had something no human had, time.

She did not return the powers he had forfeited, his family's curse - even if he saw it as a gift - was over. Ancients had an intense sense of honor and pride often only lost in moments of painful desperation. The sands kicked up around her like a small maelstrom. There had been hints to the extent of her powerset but the dusty antediluvian tomes housed within the great studies throughout Wind Country truly simplified the truth. Ancients were certainly a single element but everything was interconnected like an unseen but always felt web. Lightning sparked from her fingertips, it was different from the ninjutsu she rarely displayed. This seemed to crackle with life of its own and the sands would catch fire and be turned to crystal-like shards that spun around her. It was the simple truth of the diamond maelstrom, the symbiosis of the elements creating a sum that greater than the individual parts combined.

She was not wrong.

”Yes you are. And I will make you see the error of your ways. Sooner or later you will see the truth.”

"And you were right? You?"</GLOW> She scoffed, he did not know anything. "Your life will pass by in the blink of an eye and in that brief moment you consider an existence, do you honestly believe that you know better?" Her voice had a acerbic tone as she said these things and walked away. Her body, her true one that was, a howling storm being pieced together piece by piece by the very sands that were crystallizing about her.

”Fleeing already Suna? Where did you send your minions? What they did do?”

She did not answer him immediately, he would figure it out soon enough. What should have happened? The summons should have barged into the Senju's apartments and they should have torn the residents from their homes by the hair. Claw marks would be left on the walls and bite marks left on their victim's limbs, defensive wounds these civilian residents would endure. Some would be more damaged than others as this putrid force attempted to steal them away. Some would fight and claw, but those chosen to be taken would have been the weakest and the most tender. The old and the children would take priority and there would be screaming, some of the elderly would had fight left in them and some of the children would know of better places to hide than under their beds. Still, the zombies would find some but they would also draw the attention of the residents within the Toraono Dojo. They would try to spirit away the weak, the fortitude they lacked spoke nothing of the genetics they harbored. Deep Court genetics was all Suna wanted from them, the former Queen's only regret was that she was granting the Deep Court an addendum rather than her own. If that is what she had done, ultimately she would have succeeded if she was not taken down. When she was rendered unconscious and turned to dust her fiends would have collapsed and relinquished their hold over the screaming youth or clawing elder before they dispersed into a cloud of sand and dust.

Was that what they did?

Perhaps. It was possible that Kazuki's friends and family were safe and warm in their homes and their beds. <GLOW glow="teal">"I saved your life," she replied cryptically, her back to them as her hand grasped the handle of the door. She would feel a tug, like an invisible hand had reached out for her and tried to pull her back. "Our battle is over, progeny of Primus. No lives will be lost on this day," she assured him. It was an act of begrudged respect, she would not strike down Katsuo when she had the chance nor would she finished her intended offense against his ally Sennin Kazuki. "You have my word."

Mikaboshi · Jun 30, 2017

Kazuki and Suna continued to argue as Katsuo struggled to his feet. This moment was too important to be put to waste by the pain that he was in. They'd been arguing all through the actual battle they fought but at the time Katsuo had been too busy focusing on the fight to pay real attention to what they were saying but as they barked at each other bits and pieces of that argument began to cycle back to him through the fading haze of adrenaline caused by the fight and subsequent tense situation.

Suna hated Kazuki for similar reasons as Mikaboshi. He was a hybrid creature that carried in him a legacy of their kind and when faced with that truth had chosen to side instead with humanity over his other kin. For creatures like Mikaboshi and Suna who had lost so much of who and what they were and had so few living examples of their kind that betrayal had stung them deeply. Mikaboshi had forsworn his vendetta against Sousuke and humanity but Katsuo doubted that the Deep King would ever truly forgive Kazuki for choosing humanity over him. It had just been another in a long line of disappointments and betrayals from those of human descent in his mind.

"It's not over." He rasped, his breaths coming in ragged bursts as unconsciousness still threatened at the periphery of his mind. "And it never will be so long as this vendetta you're carrying continues. It has to end."

One foot in front of the other, Katsuo slowly managed to walk forward even though he wobbled with each step as though he might collapse once more. Katsuo had never been naturally talented in the arts of Genjutsu or Ninjutsu. His one defining skill had always been his determination and refusal to give up and it was only that which kept him going as he took each step and his body threatened to fall apart.

"There is a war going on but you're too blinded by your own hate to see it. Every day the daimyo of Wind Country closes in on us with his super soldiers which are fueled by the blood of your kind. Whether you like it or not, this is your fight too. Even Mikaboshi understood that."|[legend="[[b][u]OOC Notes[/u][/b]] - [BGM]"]

Sunahoshi Katsuo - The Last Sunahoshi

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Senju Kazuki · Jul 2, 2017

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"And you were right? You?" "Your life will pass by in the blink of an eye and in that brief moment you consider an existence, do you honestly believe that you know better?" Suna would rebuke him. She refused to listen, she refused to accept she may not be right. "Remove your head from your ass for a moment and listen to what I am saying. Being old does not equate to being right or knowing everything. It is time for your to accept you do not own the truth and that we might be correct. If you wish to survive in the end, you will have to change who you are. I pity you will be unable to and with you dies one of the world's greatest races." Kazuki would reply back immediately. He was getting tired of going back and forth with the Earth Queen. He had changed his view of the world plenty of times before. But those damned Ancients were so full of themselves. It was a waste."I saved your life," she would answer once questioned what those zombies had been doing. A response it could be, but it carried no answers. The Senju Overlord was still unaware of what she had been doing, but he would find soon enough.

"Our battle is over, progeny of Primus. No lives will be lost on this day," she would speak, this time to Katsuo. Whatever the guy had been doing to stop her, perhaps it had worked. It was also miraculous he could stand like he did. Despite being in a fight in a shorter amount of time, at least compared to the White Wolf, the last son of Primus was in a worse shape than Reaper. The fact he could still stand was a testament to the guy's determination and pain threshold. "It's not over. And it never will be so long as this vendetta you're carrying continues. It has to end." the golden armored guy would declare. "What makes you think she will listen to you? I and others have told her that before. She is simply to stubborn to see the truth." the Sennin would tell him, anger in his voice. "There is a war going on but you're too blinded by your own hate to see it. Every day the daimyo of Wind Country closes in on us with his super soldiers which are fueled by the blood of your kind. Whether you like it or not, this is your fight too. Even Mikaboshi understood that."

The Ranger Lord would simply shake his head. He had told her that before. He had shown her what would happen if she persisted in her current ways. The enslavement of all Ancients to fuel the Daimyo's war machine. But it was what had triggered this to begin with it.

|[legend="[[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqiv8qpY780][b][u]Strength of the Senju[/u][/b][/url]]"]

Senju Kazuki – Occult Sennin

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Michi · Jul 13, 2017

"Remove your head from your ass for a moment and listen to what I am saying. Being old does not equate to being right or knowing everything. It is time for your to accept you do not own the truth and that we might be correct. If you wish to survive in the end, you will have to change who you are. I pity you will be unable to and with you dies one of the world's greatest races."

"And being young..." her voice was loud and terrible. "Makes you my replacement. I am well aware." She had a sense of pride still despite her mortal fears. Humanity wanted nothing more than to see her die again, she was well aware of that fact. Sousuke demonstrated the callous nature of mankind when he took from Mikaboshi 'his due' because 'he could.' Mikaboshi's freedom denied because he 'might' one-day' do something terrible. Where did that leave her after decades of cohabitation and peace among the tribes of modern man because in the end if he knew the truth he would turn on her because she too 'might' cause them harm. And what of mankind as a whole, the world's greatest hypocrites with how the wage war against the own kin and how avarice and pride cause even shared bloodlines to roil.

There was a fatal error that was being made time and time again. Some things should not have been kept a secret. They knew about the Diamyo's devious plan to empower ordinary humans that possessed the endurance and chakra sensitivity, making their Soverign army a fearsome force. All of this time, these months and in some cases years the Diamyo was able to consolidate his power and allow his Soverign army to grow. Knowledge of Ishii Shiro's diabolical plans should have compelled the shinobi forces to consolidate and respond in kind, instead they remained idle. It made them complicit in the Daimyo's warcrimes and worst of all it made her doubt their intentions.

If the Diamyo had such a powerful and dangerous tool at his disposal then why didn't Sunagakure act?

How long did they know?

She had no reason to trust humanity and with each passing day they only substantiated her sentiments.

"It's not over. And it never will be so long as this vendetta you're carrying continues. It has to end."

"What makes you think she will listen to you? I and others have told her that before. She is simply to stubborn to see the truth."

"There is a war going on but you're too blinded by your own hate to see it. Every day the daimyo of Wind Country closes in on us with his super soldiers which are fueled by the blood of your kind. Whether you like it or not, this is your fight too. Even Mikaboshi understood that."

What little gains were being lost because of the secrets they maintained. "Such common knowledge... that mine suffer in purgatory," a bruised arched brow was raised. "And here we are fighting among ourselves."

I hate you. Her heart and mind announced but her voice made no such utterance. She felt sick in the pit of her stomach, knowing that they were still alive. It is a strange feeling, this sense of relief and revulsion that washed over her turning her already pale features ashen. For her it was in this moment that she learned that her long lost children and siblings were alive but suffering in a dungeon and being ravaged by their captors. She should not have expected their help in their recovery. Their plight a concern only because of the power the Sovereign's hybridized forms gave them

I hate you for holding them in bondage and suffering due to your inertia and indifference. In her heart she saw them as responsible as the fiends that did this. The angle of her jaw tensed, there was a flash of anger in her eyes as she continued to reform bit by bit.

Her battered hand made a fist. "I have more important enemies than Sunagakure,' she lied. A lie was her right. She would abide by the laws of her kind but veracity was not a mandate for the Earth Court Queen, only the rules of engagement. They allowed this travesty with their inaction and their blind eye; this trespass was not something that she would oblige because it cut too deep. Would she remain their ally, no. She did not trust them, their previous choices prior to this day ensured that.

Convenient in times of a festering potential war how the Daimyo has imprisoned her kin and is using them to empower his own terrible militia. "Sora," she concluded. She would be back for them later. She needed to eat. She reached for the door, "How fortuitous it must be to have a shared enemy with a recently discovered trove of imprisoned Ancients that happen to be the secret source of his power." Such things were not possible. The old ways had been long forgotten and for those who might recall, they were never perfected. Still, there was that nagging sense of what if that tugged at the back of her mind. It was a question she could not ignore.

Mikaboshi · Jul 13, 2017

Kazuki chided Katsuo for his attempts to make Suna see reason but he did not respond immediately. He would have words for him eventually but the opportunity here to have words with Suna before she decided to flee the scene and continue to carry out her war of vengeance against a people who didn't deserve it was too important to let slip past. Suna's response was emotional and full of hurt, just as Mikaboshi's had been. The Deep Lord viewed humanity as inherently deceitful in a way that violated even the terms of the nature that he'd been saddled with and had held on to that view until the very last. Their battle hadn't only been a contest of wills but of philosophy and it was only by the fact that Mikaboshi lived by a particular set of rules that Katsuo had been able to sit him down to talk at all. Katsuo knew that Mikaboshi still mistrusted humanity and likely would for long after the name Sunahoshi Katsuo was nothing but a name on a grave marker but the first steps had been taken in agreeing to put aside their grudge for the time being. Was it too much to hope for that he could accomplish something similar with Suna? Even if he could not convince her to join forces with them as Mikaboshi had, perhaps he could at least convince her to do them no further harm.

"Convenience would have been to let you die." Katsuo retorted. Suna thought the story about a mutual foe between their peoples that was a threat to them both was just a convenient excuse to get her to turn her back once more but in reality that didn't make sense. She was defeated. Dying. If Katsuo had truly just wanted her out of the way he could have let her essence fade back into the cycle where it would take time to reappear. Instead he'd almost killed himself to bring her back from the brink. "I saved your life just now. Put you back together when I didn't have to. In the end that might have been the pragmatic call."

The words of Michi echoed in Katsuo's mind. She'd warned him that he could not afford to keep trying to make his enemies into friends the way he was but that was the only way they'd survived so far.

"But it wouldn't have been the right one. I understand better than anyone that my kind wronged yours. Your brother Mikaboshi took up residence in my head for a spell and I saw what my family did to him."

Even though Mikaboshi was no longer a part of him, Katsuo's heart still broke for the death of Mariko. Their hearts and minds had been so connected that he'd felt the less as keenly as Mikaboshi when they'd been bonded and even now that wound was present. He would remember what that ice-cold anger had felt like for the rest of his life.

"But I wasn't born guilty of my forefather's crimes. I am not him. We are not them." Reaching behind him, Katsuo's fingers delved into his gear and from his gear he produced the straight crossguard of a broken sword. Black and decorated with red; this was the hilt of the Black Blade where Mikaboshi's essence had been sealed until the recent days when Katsuo had taken the sword from Sousuke and broken it. "We have all lost things in this war between us but right now we stand to lose everything if we don't stop fighting. I won't ask you to join us but I ask that you at least take some time to ask some questions. Talk to Mikaboshi. You'll see that what I'm saying is true."

With a twist of his wrist and deft manipulation between his fingers, Katsuo shifted the otherworldly steel in his hand and pointed the hilt towards Suna, offering it to her to take from him. The sword was broken and had no more hold over Mikaboshi nor did Katsuo have any use for the blade. Perhaps if she had the opportunity to see and examine it then she might realize that he meant it when he said they didn't have to be enemies.|[legend="[[b][u]OOC Notes[/u][/b]] - [BGM]"]

Sunahoshi Katsuo - The Last Sunahoshi

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