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Post by Danna on Oct 3, 2009 18:24:17 GMT -5
The air was warm, but cooling with the quiet breeze that had built up as the sun began its descent. The sky was still deeply golden and orange, tinged only at its edges with the purples of dusk. Genji was sitting quietly in front of a large rock in the wasteland, his harpoon propped up against his shoulder, and the cooked leg of a boar in his hand, several bites already missing.
He ate wordlessly, disposing of the bone when he was done and carefully placing another scrap of timber he had gathered into the small fire in front of him. It had been a quiet and typical day, and he was looking forward to what should have been a quiet and typical night.
Unfortunately for him, that wasn't what some others had in mind for him...
Fenrir stood a distance away, arms crossed, gazing off at the small, but visible flame. This one had been quite a trouble to trace, roaming every corner of Iwa as he pleased. But finally, it seemed they had him where they wanted him...
"If we move swiftly, t'would not be difficult to encircle him. I trust I shan't have to save your hide again this time, Monk?"
Her voice was a bit scolding, but her face maintained its stoic calm, recalling their previous run in with the stand-in Raikage. There should be no advantage for the enemy, in this case, as there had been in her partner's homeland. It was time to see what he was capable of.
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Post by Jackstraw on Oct 3, 2009 19:02:10 GMT -5
"I shan't fight where it's not necessary, Fenrir-san. War is not its own end, except in some catastrophic slide into absolute damnation; I fight for peace, not something as materialistic as blueprints and money." The beads around his wrists rattled as he counted them off, silvery eyes watching the dancing of the flames on the rocks ahead; he was crouched down on the balls of his feet, lips constantly moving in silent prayer as he conferred with God.
After a moment, his head jerked suddenly to the side, hair parting to stare up at his partner. He had serious doubts about this woman, but God--Buddha--peaceful as he was, always preached tolerance. Why, this woman was hardly more than a tribal whore; her people would know nothing of God, so she couldn't be held accountable.
She'd still be damned for her sins.
"I'm still... doubtful. I would hardly pray to think that someone like this is deserving of penance."
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Post by Danna on Oct 3, 2009 19:20:43 GMT -5
"Fight for what you shall in your mind, Niniji-san. But the works of man are ridden with evil from the moment they begin to congregate. I dare say one so simple as this lad t'would be the most pure hearted of us all."
She narrowed her eyes sharply, still locked in on the position of the target, giving him the time to grow comfortable, making their attack the easiest, and of course, the most dishonorable.
"We both have our reasons for being here. Spare me your second thoughts, lest you jeopardize the work we hath done so far."
She shifted her silvery blue eyes onto her partner, her position still firm. The sky was beginning to darken more now, as the sun crept its way over the horizon and into the abyss.
"We'll move momentarily." She stated, voice full of conviction. She had no intentions of wasting this chance on the discrepancies of another.
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Post by Jackstraw on Oct 3, 2009 19:29:36 GMT -5
"O protector Chenrezig, compassionately care for those who have undergone myriad hardships, completely sacrificing their most cherished lives, bodies, and wealth, for the sake of the teachings, practitioners, people, and nation." Niniji bowed his head one last time before straightening back up, sighing slightly. "A sacrifice for Buddha then."
With that, any detectability of him vanished as he slowed his own breathing, meditating silently. Within another second, he gave off a soft blue aura before vanishing entirely.
"Let us commence this dance of men then."
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Post by Danna on Oct 3, 2009 20:08:06 GMT -5
Fenrir watched her partner go, pausing a bit before moving herself, following their plan of closing in on the boy from both sides. She wasn't particularly fond of such tactics, but the time had long since passed that she had the luxury of making such decisions. Either way, now wasn't the time to consider such things...
Watching his fire quietly, simply enjoying the peace of the night. He turned his harpoon slightly, allowing it to rest against him more comfortably. In the wilderness, one couldn't risk taking their hands off their weapon for even a moment; he had learned such years and years ago. But more often than not, it was only a precaution.
The flames crackled in the silence, while Genji gazed into them, enjoying his peace...for now. =P
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Post by Jackstraw on Oct 4, 2009 17:42:48 GMT -5
Niniji moved swiftly and silently, the packed dirt and rock under his feet hardly stirring as he closed the distance between himself and the target.
Then as you stand or walk, sit or lie down, as long as you are awake, strive for this with a one-pointed mind; your life will bring heaven to earth.
Time to do God's work.
He drew a knife, pushing a bit of his energy into it. They were only about twenty meters away now; best to strike before he noticed his ungodly partner. He pulled back, flinging the knife while they were still out of the light of the fire lest the heathen notice that as well.
There was a sharp clang as the knife was struck just a couple meters away from the boy, sending it whirring through the air before planting itself in the ground dangerously close to the female attacker's feet. A long, slender rod jutted out of the ground, standing like some weird sentient between the two ambushers and their prey.
"I hate fighting as it is, but two on one....? That's not very fair, is it?" The voice seemed to echo faintly around the nearby rocky inlets and caverns, making it impossible to place where exactly it was coming from. "I don't know what you're here for, but couldn't it wait until after dinner? I'd hate to have to shoot you."
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Post by Danna on Oct 4, 2009 18:14:42 GMT -5
Fenrir carefully hopped away from the metal rod, not particularly wanting to be near such an unknown object. The boy had been completely alone since they'd tracked him, and they'd never received word of any friend or partner. It seemed impossible for him to have had someone tag along with him in the shadows for several days; he should've had no idea they were coming....
"Tch. The rogue noticed Niniji as well...tis a marksman in out midst, it seems." She muttered, keeping a firm grip on her unsheathed sword.
"The mission has not changed, we're to nab the lad and away!" She called to her partner, throwing her free hand up. She had been able to roughly guess a location on the target based on the trajectory of the shot that had knocked down her partner's knife. The broad sword on her back roared to life in a wide swoop, flying off into the darkening distance.
In the meantime, Genji had already been quite well alerted, hopping to his feet and readying the massive steel harpoon in his hands, trying to gather the location of the knife thrower. He had a small trace now, but his masking was still very skilled....
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Post by Jackstraw on Oct 4, 2009 18:32:48 GMT -5
Niniji lunged forward, the beads on his wrists unraveling and flailing out to catch on the boy's weapon. It wouldn't be too hard to overcome one who seemed to rely on brute strength rather than the power of spirit.
There was an explosion just over the crest of the large rocks above and the large broadsword was sent flying back into the ground below. Closely tailing it were three more of the rods like that that had been shot to deflect Niniji's knife; they thunked heavily into the ground, forming a trail right up to Fenrir's toes.
"I'm giving you one last chance before I get serious." The figure appeared at the top of the rock, crouched and silhouetted against the flames of the dying explosion. It pulled another arrow tight against the string of its bow. "I'd hate to put an arrow through such a pretty face's ugly heart."
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Post by Danna on Oct 4, 2009 19:29:43 GMT -5
Genji slid back, smoothly kicking a log from the fire at the sound of movement ahead of him. Now focused in on the man, he felt more able to trace him, though it was requiring every bit of skill he had built up over the years of hunting. With the minor distraction of the flaming log to work with, Genji twisted the harpoon around, twirling it with increasing force, creating a wall of wind and metal between them.
In the meantime, Fenrir only stared cooly at her semi-visible opponent, all but ignoring his trail of threats at her feet. She could only assume they were explosives, based on how he had defended himself. She smirked smugly at him, unmoving.
"Thine eyes proclaim to see mine heart, yet falter in the details of their surroundings. Methinks they should seek more realistically."
The earth below the man cracked, a green cord crawling up swiftly around his food and tugging him down, the broad sword already on its way back to pierce the now immobilized marksman. If he detonated the bars, she'd just have to take her chances. She was already moving for her shield, and preparing to use Crissaegrim when needed...
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Post by Jackstraw on Oct 4, 2009 22:27:21 GMT -5
Niniji threw himself to the side, ducking the fiery strike and hiding himself in the shadows of the rock lest his own shadow and the sound of the beads give him away. He rolled around the edge of one of the nearby rocks, beads winding back up around his wrists as he sat back. Perhaps the sudden appearance of this sniper from nowhere was God's way of saying this wasn't the right path to take in this situation?
Of course, it can't be that easy. Striking from afar; how unfair.
"Ohhh, Kami-sama." He bowed his head lightly in a prayer of thanks before hopping up over the rock and taking off; he ran perpendicular to the boy's attack, toward the wall of rock behind him rather than directly at him. His speed propelled him up the wall, where he arced around once he was high enough; the beads unraveled from around his wrists, drooping in low loops he intended to slip around that young little neck....
The arrow let fly just as the sword pierced the trapped man; the blade went straight through and his figure disappeared in a plume of smoke, the bow dropping from his hands. Another hand snatched out through the smoke, grabbing the weapon, followed by a whole body that flipped itself over the edge of the rock, down directly toward the shadow flickering its way across the wall toward the boy below. He flipped around in the air, driving his heel down and around into something very solid; there was a small moment of weightlessness, and then another cracking bang as an explosion from the impact sent a now partially-visible monk flying to the left. The momentum pushed the marksman to the right, where he landed lithely just outside of the harpoon's range.
"Gah, this is ruining dinner..." The man reached up, scratching at his scraggly short hair with an exasperated sigh. He glanced over at the young man he'd stumbled into aiding, the fire lighting up the deep blue hues in his tired eyes that smiled for him. "Don't ever be a good guy, kid. Everyone gives you trouble for it."
He sighed again, looking out at the woman with the weird sword that seemed to be following him around now; it was so sad to see pretty women doing such bad things as ambushing some kid. His eyes flickered over the monk, who seemed on the brink of vanishing again.
"You can see his shadow and he kicks up a tiny bit of dirt if you watch closely enough," he stated quietly before looking over at the boy, a tiny bit of a smile on his lips. "Though I guess you'd noticed by now?"
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Post by Danna on Oct 5, 2009 23:05:39 GMT -5
Genji twisted the harpoon, readying it to strike again when the time came. His good eye was calm and locked ahead, taking in his surroundings. He nodded slightly at the marksman that had come to his aid, acknowledging his comments. "Right." He confirmed, a short and simple response to both the man's comments. He obviously was not much of a talker...
Amidst the varying explosions of the detonated arrows, Fenrir had evaded, shielding herself and striking down debris with ease. It seemed they believed that they could strike up a conversation in the midst of combat. Cocky..
She flipped over the marksman, taking a swing at him with her Crissaegrim, the blade seemingly vanishing in a sudden whirlwind of blades at the end of her hilt, lashing out at the man's back.
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Post by Jackstraw on Oct 6, 2009 16:18:25 GMT -5
The man turned with a single quick step, drawing a sword that had been sheathed against his hip all the while; there was the horrible sound of the woman's sword striking his several times in the split second before there was a massive explosion upon the next swiping contact, blowing the woman back. He twisted with the attack, spinning and striking out at the air she'd just occupied; a large burst of orange-white flame erupted from the attack, hitting the woman and exploding again, sending her flying even further. He dashed forward, still rather reluctant to continue this fight at the rate it was going, but unable to stop until they left this kid alone.
Niniji seemed to have taken advantage of the scuffle, having vanished entirely again.
This wouldn't be so hard if Fenrir-san would stop that man already...
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Post by Danna on Oct 6, 2009 22:17:15 GMT -5
Fenrir shielded herself, feeling the heat from the explosives pushing her back, bits of debris pelting her. She slid across the ground, readying herself for the incoming attacker, when suddenly, her broadsword returned again, sailing between them and slamming into the ground, momentarily blocking the path of the marksman giving chase. In that moment of cover, she slid to her side, twisting and moving around the large blade, then striking forward, her sword again erupting in a fury of invisible attacks.
Tis difficult to hold them to both sides. Should this drag on further, t'would be best if we retreated... It would be an annoyance, but they obviously hadn't been expecting third party interference, certainly not of this caliber...
In the meantime, Genji had already braced himself, tracing the monk's initial location, his tuned ears and eye carefully taking in his surroundings. Indeed the man was skilled, but overusing such a technique would lessen its effect. He focused for a moment, watching and waiting, before he could catch on.
He moved forward shortly, stabbing his harpoon out into the air, letting the shaft of it go slightly so that it slid forward to the full length, where he caught it by the rounded end. Of course, he hadn't expected to catch the man in a one point attack, but...
From his position, holding the rounded end of the weapon so that he could use its full size, he followed through with a twist, whipping the weapon around in a wide arcing sweep, with enough force to knock the hell out of anyone.
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Post by Jackstraw on Oct 8, 2009 1:38:56 GMT -5
The marksman slid back and in a couple sweeping steps twisted around, pulling an arrow bolt from one of the slings on his back to fling right into the center of the sword's flurry of attacks; the effect was instantaneous: a large explosion that blew both the combatants back several yards. He landed on his back not far from the boy he was aiding, pulling his knees to his chest and hopping up immediately, both hands back on his sword in preparation for what might come.
Niniji was hit hard, but took the blow to his advantage as quickly as he could. A visible flash of chakra traveled up the shaft of the boy's weapon before the now-visible monk was thrown back away from it; he flipped midair, landing low on his feet several yards away and forming a foreign handseal, activating the genjutsu connection.
"Takamagahara. Let me wash away your sins of this life, child." He reached out, smiling in what might have been a caring way if it hadn't been for his eyes, which were wide and sparkling with some demented, untold secret in the flickering flames of the fire and explosions around them. Right about now, they always stopped breathing...
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Post by Danna on Oct 8, 2009 1:58:08 GMT -5
Fenrir recovered as well, using her sword to slow down her slide and sturdy her stance. She had prepared to strike again, wanting to hold the man off a bit further to give Niniji time to secure the capture that he had seemingly gotten. All seemed well until...
Genji's eye widened, panic and rage stricken, his mind racing, unable to will himself to move. And, on pure sudden instinct, his body shook with exertion, a pulsing wave of force gathered around him, raw and violent in nature, more primal than any sort of refined technique. As his mind slipped away from him, a bellowing voice shook him, preventing the transformation.
"They won't take us yet, Little Tiger."
A glow of chakra overtook him, replacing the previous kind with something more ancient and controlled, building up, extending off of him in the shape of what seemed to be a tail.....
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