A Roll of The Die

The newly sealed Valen Minamoto sat within a training ground, eyes closed in meditation as he began to focus. His breathing evened out as he focused on the task at hand. Delving within his mind he looked to the beast, staring down at him through the caged section of his mental scape and nodded, the seal itself as a baseline was strong enough to handle the fight now. So he could begin it without worry. Now he just had to win it. He could do that, he was positive of it.

[Beginning Bijuu Control Fight]

Modifiers include
+10 (S Class)
+10 (Restricted Technique: Radial Drought)
+10 (Gelel Stone)
+10 (Artifact/X Class Weapon: Hai no Ha)
+10 Exclusives (2 each, hidden mist, silent killing, water prison, water mirror, and water heaven's convergence)
-2 for two tails (Nibi)

The moment the fight started the beast would charge at him and Valen would dash beneath the beast, his sword out and tearing into the monsters flesh, cutting deeply on the first strike. Immediately the creature, the Nibi, would turn to face him again, this time limping on one of it’s four limbs. The expression on its face pained and angry. The fire swordsman grinned up at the creature, battle lust thrumming through his veins before he moved in himself, intent upon finishing the now wounded and lamed beast.

What he did not expect was the beast to open it’s mouth and charge up a massive load of chakra before launching it at him. Valen, was fast, extremely fast. However the distance between him and the beast, and the size and speed of the blast made it impossible for him to dodge it. Valen himself did not have a defensive technique capable of handling the blast. It took him, and obliterated his mental construct form, and killed him outright.

-

Results of Roll 1: 93 (+10 Modifier added to next round)
Results of Roll 2: 61 (Death)

She was free

It had only just been captured again recently and it was already free once more. Now she only needed to escape the confines of this village in order to keep her freedom. As she coalesced in form her senses came to her in the physical world. She heard no one nearby and could not smell anyone nearby either. From her observations there was no one within 500m of her as she fully formed in all her majesty and she took a quick stock of her surroundings. The man that had been her latest prison had chosen a secluded spot for this fight. Separated and alone to attempt to prevent possible harm to others. That might very well work out too, for Matatabi simply wanted to escape, not destroy. She wanted to run, not lay waste to the village. Although she would be willing to do so as a distraction if necessary. Still the day was clear and sunny and that meant visibility was high. Her form stood higher than the nearby trees at 100m in height and her long sinuous tails of black and blue fire moved like the lick of flame upon the wick of a candle behind her as she turned and ran immediately, away from the village at her maximum speed.

Running was after all, her best option. The village proper was to her southeast and the training ground her container had gone to was secluded. That meant the first indication of a problem would probably be her presence. Still she doubted she had much time. With no presence within 500m of her she had to get started on running quickly to have a real chance at possible escape. She channeled her chakra as she ran, preparing a counterattack in case she needed it. She was not stupid, and she was going to do everything in her power to prevent herself from being caught again. Running at her maximum speed, she worked to make her escape. Intent upon the open ocean where she could run across to another secluded island that she always preferred to hide her presence on. People rarely if ever looked for her and as such she decided they were probably a good place for her to hide.

She did not know what kind of threats lurked within that village behind her. But she would not be surprised to find individuals stronger than her previous container within it. Human’s had an incredible ability to adapt and overcome threats. It was entirely possible that even if one in the village was not stronger than the swordsman then they might be more suited to fighting it than others. It was too risky to try anything other than to run.

[1]

Matatabi:

Sero was returning from a hunt for pirates near the ocean. Their bodies left torn in the sand and amidst their burning ships. The smell of smoke on the air hung heavy amidst burning flesh though the fires had mostly died down. Sero had done his work and then rested. Allowing his chakra reserves to return to full before moving to return to the village. Since he had picked up sensory and trained with it he had increased his hunting capability to great lengths. Sero himself was in a black cloak over a black shinobi outfit. The nightmare brigade uniform was simple. A long sleeved black shirt and black gloves with black shinobi pants and padded shoes. However it would appear as if a fog bank rolled in at his feet despite the sun in the sky. Shadows stretching through the blanket of white announcing him. Dancing from his shadow the five tails could be seen. It was restless today....like a warning of what was to come.

Still he didn't need it to see the massive thing moving from the village in his direction. He knew little of it other than it was another of the Bijuu. He could almost feel it from where he stood and still he would push his sensory out. Feeling the beast as it entered within five hundred meters of him. A part of him wished to let it flee. But he knew the anger and wrath of the one within himself. He would not allow a catastrophe to roam free. Though there was little he could do against such speed. He would not hesitate to attempt to block its path to freedom....to flee from him. Most would hide from a bijuu. Sero was too naïve to do so.

Forming the ram symbol as one of the massive jutsu that only required one seal Sero would step forward. His clothing and chest opening to reveal itself like a mouth before a huge torrent of water would burst from Sero's person. Five hundred meters between himself and the beast would fill at A rank speed with massive crashing waves. Creating a field of water too slow to catch the beast....but perhaps enough to redirect it and give reinforcements time. Or perhaps it would dare to proceed forward. Challenging a Hozuki on its field. With this much water Sero would let it envelop him as well. Keeping beneath the surface to protect him and hide him as he turned to liquid form.

189.5/210:

The anticipated arrival of those who would entrap her rather than simply letting her be free came to pass. Her natural size gave her a stupendous vantage point of the water coming toward her. Although the torrent itself prevented her from seeing the one that fired the jutsu. The technique itself acting as a visual shield. Still, water was something she disliked, as one might expect from a being of fire. Stopping her momentum on a dime and backing away somewhat at her best speed she would see the stopping point of the technique. If she had stayed still it would have hit her, and if she had run forward the charge would have run her into it too quickly. From here though she could act.

The blue flames that the world knew her by kindled to life within her own mouth. By scent she picked up the scent of another. Masked by the water? Perhaps, well, it would matter much less in a moment. The blue fire would expand outward in a massive conflagration of fire, taking up the same area the water had. She had closed the distance back to the edge of the pool as she opened her maw and the blue flame would encompass the entirely of the jutsu that had spawned the small inland lake. Turning the entire lot of it into so much steam, radiating off the area. Should any have been foolish enough to stay at their original location after firing such a jutsu they would be at the edge of her flames. Any hiding within the water as so many water based predators were want to see, would be in even more danger.

The scent of the hidden one was all she picked up thus far and that meant he was the only threat at the moment. Best to remove him quickly and then move on. Before any others arrived to attack her. Keeping her other senses poised to hear, smell, or see anyone approaching she was confident she could still make her escape.

[2]

Stuff:

It had started as any normal day had started, the only thing that was amiss was the fact that Raphael was actually planning on doing stuff today. As a newly appointed swordsman of the most it only made sense for him to need to continue to hone his craft with his new blade Hiramekarei. Dressed in his full Kirigakure Jounin Armor complete with Hiramekarei strapped to his back, Raphael would head out the door towards the Uzumaki training area with Hayami following closely behind him. Raphael looked to the peculiar bright and sunny sky as he started on his way, it was odd when such a day happened around Kirigakure but it was often viewed as a good sign by the villagers.

It only took a second for everything to change, it was like a sudden drop in pressure, the kind he had experience when he surfaced from a dive too quickly. The air grew still and there was complete silence, then in the distance he would see it begin to form. He wasn't sure if it was a technique or a beast at first, only that it seemed to dwarf the surrounding buildings and trees even from the distance. Raphael would concentrate his chakra as he took off in the direction of the beast, moving across the rooftops towards the training area at 150m/s, hoping to get to it before whatever it was got to the village, however as soon as it formed it took off away from the village. It was then that Raphael saw what it was, the Nibi. It was impossible, he had just placed the seal on Valen to contain the beast, there was no way that the beast could have broken free from it and yet here it was running wild.

Raphael did not know why it didn't attack the village, just as he didn't know how Valen could have let the beast escape, but he did not stop in his pursuit of it. Moving across the building rooftop's until he reached the training area where he moved onto the trees, doing his damnedest to keep sight of the towering behemoth. He could not risk it destroying a different village, but even with his chakra enhancing movement the beast still moved faster than he could. He realized that the best he could hope for was following it's path until it stopped, of course he had no idea how long the beast could run, he just hoped it would eventually tire. Concentrating more of his chakra to help ensure his fluidity as he moved, Raphael would follow behind the beast the best he could though it would gain more and more distance with each second. His Chakra would help him with his coordination, but his strength would suffer from it. He wouldn't be able to freely wield Hiramekarei as he normally would, but he also did not intend to get close enough to the beast for him to need to use it nor for it to be any use in the fight. He only had one technique in his arsenal that he knew would trap such a creature, the only problem was that he had to get much closer than he was, and it did not seem like that was going to happen until the beast stopped running.

In the faintest of chances it seemed however that his hope came true as the beast seemed to be getting closer, no it was moving back towards him and the village. His mind raced with trying to understand the sudden change when he saw why, a wall of water rush towards the beast. It seemed someone else was attempting to stop it from being able to freely rampage, and this was just the chance that he needed. The beast moving back towards him, and him moving at full speed towards it, Raphael was finally able to close the distance between himself and the beast.

Forming the Ram hand sign as he entered the 500m range of the beast, like his unknown comrade on the other side of it, Raphael would release a powerful torrent of water towards the Nibi from behind. Leaping into the air Raphael would ride atop the wave of water, using it to close the remainder of the distance towards the beast. Hoping to trap it between the two crashing waves as they moved towards each other, the beast of course would have other plans. The Nibi released a powerful blast of fire towards the first wave before himself and his torrent of water could reach it, however once Raphael would reach the 250m range distance behind the beast he would fire off three orbs made of his Adamantine Chains. He had never used this technique against a beast like this before and did not know of any Uzumaki that had, in fact he had never faced a beast like this before, but he had to try something.

The orbs would fly towards Matatabi at 125m/s, moving slightly faster than the wave of water itself, with Raphael's hope that three chains would be able to contain the beast when one could contain a human. However, Raphael was not naive, he knew that if the beast turned it's stream of fire towards him it would more than likely cook him alive, he would keep his eyes trained on the Nibi for any sign that it would turn it's fire towards him, with the same hope that he would be able to get out of danger if it came his way. If the Chain orbs found their mark, then they might at least be able to buy him enough time to pull off the one technique that he knew would be able to stop it. If they missed, or the Nibi realized that he was attack from behind it beforehand then he was probably rushing forward to his own death.

---

Analyzing Matatabi (1/2)

Things:

The appearance of a Bijuu in the middle of Kirigakure was hard to miss, even for one such as Arisu. She was often absent-minded, her thoughts taking her out of the day to day affairs of most people. It was hard to miss the thundering sound of a massive creature stomping through the city though, or miss seeing even a glimpse of the creature that made her summons seem small and rivaled the size of the Gedou Statue. She'd been wandering around the eastern side of the city, simply walking and taking a stroll across the roofs to get some air.

To Arisu, a Bijuu rampaging in the city could only be met with a swift resistance and taken down as quickly as possible. Given the attacks being thrown at it and the retaliatory clashes, she knew that the battle was already underway.

She wasn't fully kitted out in her armor, wearing her usual white and grey kimono, but she did have the Kiba blades on her as she often did. Leaping into the air, Arisu activated her Rinnegan's Chakra Visualization and summoned the Drill Beaked Bird. A massive three legged bird with black receivers and two massive linked Rinnegan appeared, Arisu sharing visual prowess with the creature and it with her. Additionally activating her Sage Mode, she wasn't about to take the threat of a Bijuu lightly.

Landing on the bird, the two rocketed towards the location of the Bijuu. The Sage mode that Arisu utilized appeared to alter her form slightly, her forehead turning black with a jagged rectangular design near the bottom. Her horn was half consumed with the black pattern as well, lightening back up at the top. Unlike the usual Rinnegan pattern, Arisu's had become golden in color, as well as the ones on the bird.

The bird flew as fast as it could, but it would take her a few moments to get there, as she'd been a few kilometers away. One thing was sure though: the path to the New Eastern Gates was now cut off from a direct line unless it wanted to try and get passed her. She flew up at a height of 200 meters in the air and was rapidly approaching the fight but wouldn't be there this round, observing what the next moves were while they approached.

--
-0.5 Chakra Visualization
-20 Summoning A rank
-2 Give Summons Rinnegan/Receivers

-5 Sage Mode, -5 Kata

GDBB: -5 Bird Style (Taijutsu reduction)

Arisu Stamina: 362.5/385
Arisu Nature Stamina: 180/190
Giant Drill Beak Bird Stamina: 180/185
--------
Arisu techs used:

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

GDBB techs used:

Spoiler:

Stats:
Arisu: Strength: C -> B [Six Path Sage]
Constitution: B -> A [Six Path Sage]
Stamina: S++(++)
Speed: B -> A [Six Path Sage] -> S [Kata]
Coordination: A -> S [Six Path Sage]
Intelligence: D
Perception: B -> A [Chakra Visualization] -> S [Six Path Sage] -> S++ [Kata]


GDBB: Strength: C [2] -> B [Bird Style]
Constitution: C [2]
Stamina: B [3]
Speed: A [4] -> A++ [Bird Style]
Coordination: B [3]
Intelligence: E [0]
Perception: A [4] (Using Arisu's: S++)

Sero would surge forward at A rank speed as he entered the wave. The bijuu was faster though and clearing distance. Evading the wave. The water crashed through trees and submerged the land beneath it as it surged forward. For just a second the bijuu escaped his sensory range. However a half second later the bijuu would reenter it. Not only had it stopped moving there was a surge of katon chakra. A technique he was highly familiar with and preferred himself. Though the chakra....it was less than...no it was a katon type bijuu. It seemed natural that this would be its element. That it would take less for it to utilize it. As a ninjutsu specialist he understood this affinity. Still he wouldn't have time to use a string of hand seals to counter it. The jutsu he had in mind requiring him to be closer. So instead he would reform the Ram hand seal and choose to overcome the beasts katon attack. Moving to the three hundred meter marker from Nibi as the katon jutsu burned through the existing mass of water at a speed Sero could handle. From his body a second mass of crashing waves would surge forward.

However it was at this point that he sensed Raphael approaching on his own suiton jutsu identical to Sero's own. However he was riding at the front of it...something else had been launched at the Nibi but Sero was unfamiliar with those. They felt dangerous to him though so he would be careful to avoid it. Instead he needed to get there before Raphael. Sero had intended to attack the Bijuu at a range but that option was out the window. If Raphael appeared to be the only viable threat than the man would likely die. The Nibi had demonstrated too much speed already. Instead Sero would form a half tiger seal. The sound of the steam burst and crashing waves hiding his footsteps. Holding it before bursting through the water in its depths near the ground. The body flicker technique almost making his speed match S rank as he gathered water around himself from his technique. Growing in size but keeping low in the cloud of steam. He would maintain the half tiger seal and utilize it three times to get across the distance obscured by the steam before Raphael would arrive. Coming through the steam as close to the Nibi as the edge of the first suiton technique had reached.

Tate Eboshi was the ultimate technique of the Hozuki clan and it was upon the Bijuu hopefully obscured from sight by the steam and smell because it was simply more water. Raphaels attack with any luck would draw its attention long enough for Sero to reach it and appear on it as an actual threat point blank. Using the A++ speed of his body flicker to attempt to reach it from beneath and with a mighty surge attempt to strike at one of its legs with S rank strength. The water coming mere moments behind with the other suiton technique coming from the front and flanking it. Attempting to disable its ability to run with the steam cloud it created acting as a visual barrier, the water a scent barrier and the massive sounds around them as a sound barrier. Sero was a hunter attempting to pounce on an apex predator. If he could just land the blow on the beasts leg and stay too low for those chain jutsu to hit him he would be dandy. And the two A rank suiton techniques were set to collide. If Nibi tried to jump above the water Sero would be careful to avoid the chain jutsu and wait beneath the surface of the steam and water for it to land....before attempting to snatch it by the leg and drag it under. Either way he was attempting to stop its movement and drown it.

139/210:

The steam bank that arose from the creation of her fire into the water did not seem to originate from the water she had intended. This was unexpected, but not something that could not be overcome. The hidden man in the water had his water to use. However the knowledge that he was there made stealth an inoptimal ally in such a circumstance. Most of her attacks and strikes would lay waste to an area. Meaning trying to sneak through it would not be to one's advantage. Still, he was a threat but not the current largest one. Although she knew that could change at the drop of the hat. With the finishing of both jutsu the sound of the great wave crashing through the tree’s some few hundred meters back could not be missed.

She turned her head slightly to see out of her peripheral vision and saw a man riding atop the wave, intent on closing the distance. As she noted this he fired three orb-like chain amalgamations at her. The orbs moved faster than the wave did but not overtly so. At this time the man in the steam would not have reached his attack position yet, still utilizing body flicker to close the distance. Opening her mouth she would launch the most powerful technique her kind had. A destructive force of primal power that destroyed and leveled mountain sides with its raw destructive force. The Bijudama was a great threat and the ball of power would leave her mouth immediately after the man riding the wave would fire his chains. The orb would not be aimed at him however. She had only turned her head enough to see him out of her peripheral vision. The orb would be fired a bare 20m away, to impact the ground. The moment she fired it she ran. Away from the village and the woman, which had not been noticed yet mind you, at her maximum speed.

This action would cause her to be running ahead of a great explosion encompassing a 500m diameter. That spawned essentially at her original location. Her speed was fast enough to stay ahead of it. She ran perpendicular to both the man riding the wave, who could not change his direction, and the man that would be sneaking up to her in the steam. The attack would be devastating to both if successful. The explosion that radiated outward from the impact zone would move toward them at 175 meters per second. However the distance would be closing at the time of the explosion at a rate of 275 meters per second toward the man riding the wave. Who was coming at it at 100 meters per second and thus adding the speed of his travel to the rate at which the attack closed on him. It would also move toward the man in the steam at a rate of 325 meters per second. The arrival of which would put it in the middle of his second body flicker.  

All the while the Nibi would be running at its maximum speed away from all of the danger. As she outran the explosion itself, removed herself from the threat window of both parties attacking her, for the moment, and counterattacked as well. As she ran she kept a careful note of her senses, paying attention to any other potential threats. In the direction she ran, effectively at a ninety degree angle from both Sero and Raphael and directly away from Arisu coming from the Village. She scented no one additional within 500m of her, at least while the Bijudama explosion was occurig.

[3]

Stuff:

[Interrupt]

A brilliant flash of light followed by the crash of thunder filled the air as a new armor clad figure arrived onto the field of battle directly in the path of the Bijudama orb just as it was being launched.  The New arrival was a literal bolt from the blue, one that even the mighty Matatabi wouldn’t sense coming.   The cat had been correct in thinking that nobody else had been within 500 meters of her, at least not until this very split second since Ryuko had teleported in from an entire other country.  A normal person would have been torn apart from the use of Heavenly Transmission but Rafaela had used her power of Divine regeneration to ensure her host survived the trip intact.

Ryuko hadn’t exactly meant for this to happen and certainly hadn’t aimed for it on purpose.  She had merely set  the coordinates for her destination outside Kiri proper since she didn’t want to appear in the middle of a military installation out of nowhere and cause a panic.   She’d never been herself but tangential information was good enough.  She’d used data provided by her men that had attended a chunin exam some years prior.

Was this bad timing on Ryuko’s part?  She’d only come to Kiri so that she could have a conversation with her friend Arisu only to suddenly find herself inexplicably thrust into a life or death situation.   Then again maybe it was good timing on her part since she was one of the few people in the world equipped to deal with that type of situation at a moment's notice.   Either way it was very good luck for the people that had been targeted.  One might even call it a moment of divine intervention.

As a veteran of all kinds of crazy situations the former Raikage didn’t waste time asking questions like what a Bijuu was doing here of all places when they should have all been sealed away or why it was attacking.    Those could wait until after the battle was over.  For now she simply reacted with her sage mode enhanced senses, going straight into battle mode and entering into her trademark Ballad of the Dragoon fighting style at the preverbal drop of a hat. Her extraordinary mind working overtime to analyze the beast and the situation she had found herself in even as she made her opening move.

With nothing more than a simple swipe she swatted the massive orb with the shield strapped to her left arm. The Tengādian currently appeared to all sights to be nothing more than a common Ecranches but was in reality so much more as it greedily devoured the chakra that composed the Bijudama, harmlessly absorbing the energy in the blink of an eye and storing it away for later use.

Simultaneously she had charged chakra to the crystal charm around her neck using it to pull off a summon technique.    She called upon the mighty Ghidorah, a colossal 80 meter tall giant three headed golden Hydra  He wasn’t quite as big as Matatabi but he was close enough as he rose up from a brightly glowing magical glype directly in the Bijuu’s flight path preventing it from easily fleeing. If it thought it was going to pull a hit and run on her off all people then the beast had another thing coming.

Given the difference in sheer strength and speed between the two Kaijuu she doubted Ghidorah could hold back Matatabi for long but then again he didn’t need to.  Ryuko just needed to slow the cat down long enough to give the wave attack from her extant ally a chance to catch up.  

Speaking of said wave, even with her back turned she could hear the water approaching from the moment she had made her appearance and reacted accordingly.  About the last thing she wanted was to be caught up in such an overwhelming surge.

Even as she swiped and summoned Ryuko was also in the process of jumping into the air and unfurling her wings, flying as high and as fast as she could muster.   There was roughly about 250 or so meters between herself and the waves from her starting position and they were moving at 100m per second.

That meant they would take about 2.5 to 3 seconds to reach her.  Well that is if the waves were perfectly square that is.  Because they were more circular with the highest point in the center and cresting downward she had a small amount of wiggle room to work with.  

Skill with flight was determined by a mix of both speed and coordination.  In her current sage enhanced state that put Ryuko roughly somewhere between 150 to 175m/s.  Just fast enough to avoid being caught in the wave if only by a hair as her boot-covered toes would skim the surface of the water as she zoomed past it to safety.

---

stuff:

The five seconds that would follow his creation of the Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave, would be a defining five seconds. Though he kept up with most of it there were somethings that happened faster than he could see, he saw the beast turn it's head ever so slightly. Not fully facing him, but enough that Raphael would be able to see one of the eyes of the beast for a fleeting moment. Raphael would fire off his chain orbs at the beast as him and his wave drew closer, and that was when the real fun would start. As the Bijuu would form it's Bijudama there would be a flash of lightning not far from it, but it would already be too late for Raphael to stop his plan, or be able to do anything to stop the Bijudama.

One Second after firing his Chain Orbs, Raphael would begin the next stage of his plan backflipping off the wave to land behind it. He would not know if his wave or his orbs would hit the Nibi, what the bolt of lightning was or anything else, or how to stop the Bijudama, but he would continue as if they did and hope that his wave would block the blast with any luck. If Ryuko and her summon were able to keep the beast in place, the chain orbs would find their mark and with any luck help keep the beast in place for the crashing wave as well as this part of his plan. As he flipped, Raphael would pull a single Kunai from his pouch and slice the palm of his hand, those that did not know he did not have a summon would likely think that he was about to summon, but that was not what it was at all.

Raphael would land on the ground 150 meters away from where the Nibi had been when he first launched the wave, if everything went accordingly than after the wave subsided Raphael would see the Nibi at least partially chained up by his orbs at which point he would slam his bloody palm to the ground to activate the Uzumaki Sealing Technique. A unique and powerful fuuinjutsu of the Uzumaki Clan that was properly meant to capture powerful shinobi or even beasts such as the Nibi, though this would leave him weakened, he had to hope that it would be worth it. The sealing formula would spread across the wet ground as chains would be launched out and around the beast that would be within it, these chains would not be easily broken and would be able to hold the beast there likely indefinitely IF the beast was still within the formula range. If the beast managed to continue to flee, then after flipping off the wave Raphael would move to pursue it rather than attempt the sealing technique.

---

Analyzing Matatabi: 2/2 Complete

Current Stats:
Strength: B -> C (Adaptive Fighter UA)
Constitution: C
Stamina: A++
Speed: B -> A++ (Mastery of Body: Control)
Coordination: C -> B (Adaptive Fighter UA)
Intelligence: A
Perception: C

Stats for 3 rl days if Uzu Sealing Tech is Used:
Strength: D
Constitution: D
Stamina: A++
Speed: A
Coordination: C
Intelligence: A
Perception: D

Chakra 255
-10 for Mastery of Body: Control (upkeep)
-10 for Adamantine Chain Attacking Orb (upkeep?)
-30 for Uzumaki Sealing Technique
Remaining 205

Tech:

Arisu's realization that the bird was too slow came a little late. She wasn't going to unsummon it as it could be useful for her to have one, but she was faster in technicality at the moment. Watching everything play out, Arisu noticed the Bijuu charging a bijuu bomb and made a split second decision. She was able to process its turn and figure out where it would be going after firing, so she opened a portal 250 meters in front of where the Nibi would be as its speed was rather incredible and by the time it turned and acknowledged its surroundings, she would have already begun traveling towards it with a body flicker, reaching out her right hand.

Out of her palm would launch 10 chains, forming a wide net extending out 100 meters in every direction, with 3 chains launching towards the bijuu itself, aiming to form a wall that the Bijuu couldn't cross without encountering at least one of them unless it chose a different direction to bolt. All she needed to do was make contact with her chains though and the Bijuu would be immobilized, at which point everything would be set for her to remove it from Kirigakure.

Of course she pitied the creature, but it ultimately was a danger to the world around it, and had been parted from its true self for long enough, so she knew in the long run she was doing it a favor by attempting to reunite it with its body. Kitsuki wouldn't have approved, but she was a nonfactor at this point.

If the chains would make contact with the beast, the rest would close in on it and fully restrain it in their embrace, and she'd summon the Gedou Statue, transferring the chains to it and allowing it to reclaim what it had lost.

Sero would see the surge of chakra but have no way to truly do more than defend against its power. Had he more time he might have been able to prevent it entirely. Though for now he could do nothing to stop it. Only survive. He hoped his fellow Kirigakure shinobi could manage the same. This massive lake the two had created would be wiped out entirely. Taking the brunt of the blast but doing little to stop it. He knew that energy would create a wave of destruction and for once it gave him pause. Few things could kill him...but if he wasn't in his tate eboshi form...However a strike of lightning would draw his attention. A woman he had never met before stood in its path. With a simple slam of her shield the ball was simply gone. She had the ability to move so freely and could absorb even that attack? As a Ninjutsu specialist he was wary of this. Someone with such a total capability for field movement and defense as well as a raiton affinity. It was as if she was designed to counter him....yet it was fortuitous. She was inclined to aid them.

Even as the summoned creature was raised to block the Bijuu's path Sero would sense Arisu coming. She was joining the fight and he would not allow some foreigner to enter the fray and himself back down. The bijuu was strong but he was still a force to be reckoned with. So Sero would maintain his massive fish form. The two lakes beginning to crash together as he charged along under water at A rank speed. Blending in with the liquid around him. No sounds...no waves....no vision of him. The bijuu within him was watching however. Attempting to rouse within Sero as he pushed it down. He did not need it's aid. Not yet. Still he would sense Arisu suddenly having shifted locations after a powerful surge of chakra. She too was right in front of the creature now. Another massive surge of chakra erupting from her. Sero was a little behind but he would cut across to the side of the Bijuu he had started on. If it shifted direction and attempted to evade the others Sero would be in its path on the route it had originally taken. Still blocking it from the ocean. In the event it moved towards him the Tate Eboshi would wait under the surface. Timing surfacing to strike at the bijuu's chest and under belly. Utilizing S rank strength to catch it full speed and knock it back into those it fled. Though the collision of S rank speed and S rank strength would likely do significant damage.

128.5:

It fired its most powerful technique, a blast of raw chakra that could level mountains, destroy cities. Raw, untempered, unrestrained, and purely destructive power. But in a flash of golden light, a new warrior came into the field and as quickly as it had been formed and fired. It disappeared, seemingly into nothing. From the beast's perspective it had simply gone out of existence. She could not after all see through the orb of chakra as it flew. It caused her to pause suddenly, mostly in surprise at the sudden removal of the attack. As she did the woman, the Nibi could see it was a woman now, summoned something next to the beast itself. A creature with multiple heads, about 75% of her own size. As she turned to see that she also saw a portal, given that she was taller than the summoned beast and could see over it. That direction was suddenly filled with multiple threats.

At the same time the new warrior would unfurl wings and fly up, prompting the Nibi to also get the hell out of dodge. As the warrior rose, the Nibi turned, now toward the village and ran. Avoiding three orbs of chains as she turned aside and moved.  As she did she turned her toward the oncoming wave of water to see a man flipping off of it, backwards. The flying warrior flew straight up and that meant she was not in position to stop Nibi’s actions at the moment given that she was getting out of the way of the wave. The one that summoned the wave was descending from a height of 250m, 150m away from the Nibi herself. His back was still to her as he fell, his body arching into a bow that would cause him to right himself in the air just before he landed. He descended at a rate of 175m per second. The Nibi opened its maw again, another orb of chakra forming as she moved toward the village. Once she had seen the man's action of jumping off however she would split the difference of the direction of her travel. Generally moving toward the village, but at an angle that would give her a shot at the man who was now open to attack. When she reached 100m away from Raphael, but outside of the reach of his water wave, she would fire. He of course would still be about 190m high. The orb would fire, launched to impact the ground a bare 30m away from her again. Then she would turn and run straight for the village at her best speed. The ominous feeling of another following her behind her.

The Bijudama would impact the ground 70m away from Raphael and radiate outward for 500m at S speed. She ran ahead of the destructive chakra that exploded outward. Hopefully distracting the others while they moved to protect and save their ally or contain the damage from the blast. The explosion would impact the descending man before he even managed to land upon the ground, potentially removing him completely from existence if someone did not protect him in time. Meanwhile Nibi would move at her best speed toward the village. Trying to increase the distance from her attackers so she could make good her escape. “Let me go!” She would cry out, he voice bestial as she tried to escape. Her only real chance was to cause havoc in the city, cause damage and destruction that some of, if not all of those attacking would have to separate off to contain.

[4]

CP: 300
-30 for Bijudama (500m form again)
Remaining: 270

Ghidorah felt cold sweat roll down his back as he came face to face with one of the few beings on the planet larger than himself. Well crap he thought to himself instinctively sensing he was outclassed. His mistress hadn’t summoned him in forever and now the first thing he had to deal with was a bijuu? He was going to have to ask for double, no triple the usual food compensation once this was over…. Assuming he survived the experience.

Normally there was little he could do beyond being essentially a physical wall blocking the Giant Cat. He simply wasn’t fast enough to tag someone like Matatabi with a physical strike. At least not if she was taking him seriously. Luckily for him beyond noting his existence she was barely paying him the slightest bit of attention and as she turned to run he took the opportunity to lash out with all three of his heads attempting to bite her on both her tail, flank and left leg. Really whatever he could get his mouth on.

A nip from him likely wouldn’t do a lot of damage to the larger creature but if even just one succeeded in piercing the skin he’d inject a powerful Paralyzing Venom Agent capable of inflicting full body paralysis. A long shot to be sure but it was better than sitting back and doing nothing.

***

So far Ryuko had been acting more on instinct than on reason but even then she’d been careful not to attack the bijuu directly herself since she had wanted to get a better read on the situation and who was responsible for what. Ever since she’d met Nozomi she’d never really liked the idea of making people into Jinchuriki or how they were often treated as nothing more than tools. She’d been livid when she’d found out the twins had been injected with Shukaku while she had been in a coma but unable to do anything about it after the fact.

As a priestess of Hakkin one of the commandments she lived by was to bring Freedom to those without. The problem with setting a Bijuu free was that once they were sealed in a person you couldn’t exactly just release them since doing so was usually fatal to the host. It hardly seemed just to go as far as killing an innocent jailer to free the prisoner inside.

Of course the fact that Bijuu were extremely dangerous forces of nature meant it wasn’t so simple. Ryuko herself understood full well why they were sealed away. Especially since, hypocrite that she was, there was a time she had sought to gain Matatabi for herself. That said it didn’t make her less sympathetic to the Cat’s cause of liberty.

Honestly speaking if Matatabi were being just a little less belligerent and not trying to fire off multiple Bijudama she would have been inclined to simply let it escape. Heck Ryuko might have even assisted the Cat if she felt confident enough that she could get away with the deed. It would have to be subtle so that she didn’t worsen her relationship with Kiri and Arisu, hard to pull off given the situation but not impossible.

That all went out the window the moment the Cat changed direction and moved to head towards Kirigakure rather than away from the village. Ryuko immediately understood the unspoken threat that action implied. She felt guilty that her actions in calling forth a summon had helped to corner the beast and drive it in a bad direction but regardless of her intentions or other feelings on the matter of Matatabi she could not, would not allow innocent civilians to be harmed.

Once the danger was neutralized maybe she could see about talking Arisu into releasing the Cat somewhere where it couldn’t do anybody else harm. Given the amount of land Kiri now controlled there had to be an uninhabited island somewhere where Matatabi could live in peace.
Even as one of the strongest shinobi alive Ryuko had a soft demeanor. She was gentle and beautiful but in battle she was fierce and overpowering. Now that she had resolved herself to fight the Bijuu was about to experience her less than tender ministration firsthand.

Ryuko might have started flying straight up but she didn’t have to stay that way to avoid the wave. There was nothing stopping her from changing her trajectory to a more diagonal one as she did her best to keep pace with the fleeing feline even if the difference between their current respective speeds could make things difficult to catch up. She also made a small flick of her left wrist switching her shield over to its larger Tower from.

She had even switched over to using the chakra the shield had stolen from the first Bijuudama to fuel her techniques rather than her own, both in order to conserve her energy and to better prepare for what was to come. The more room the shield had in the tank the better.

Seeing the Cat open her jaws to form another Bijudama and then move towards Raphael and thus towards herself the former Raikage made her move. Aborting her ascent at roughly the half way mark at 250 or so meters into the air, she switched to descent using a special taijutsu technique to reduce her air resistance as much as possible.

What happened to not being caught in the wave? Well it was nothing she had to worry about as long as she was falling faster than the water could move. The technique she was using was normally intended to be used by performing a jump first but well she didn’t exactly need to do that considering she was in the air already to begin with.

At this point she could have withdrawn her wings but she kept them out so that she could use them to steer her fall and adjust her angle of attack if needed to match Matatabi’s movements. As she flew downwards at a diagonal angle she also performed three quick hand seals reading herself to launch a technique when the moment was right.

With any luck the Bijuudama’s sheer size would shield herself from Matatabi’s view as Ryuko aimed to try and crash straight through the ball before it could be launched , neutralizing it by having her tower shield which was larger than her own body touch it before her feet could and having the shield absorb the chakra.

Naturally just because the Bijuudama was gone didn’t mean that Ryuko would suddenly stop falling. This would be followed by attempting to land her flying side kick right into the Cat’s open maw. The arch angel’s boots on her feet ensured that if the blow landed it would be extra painful.

At the same time she unleashed the Poison Release: Venom Cutter she had prepared at essentially point blank range. Launching a powerful stream of liquid poison in the hopes it would go straight down the Cat’s gullet.

As the Hydra Sage Ryuko could freely generate any liquid or Gas Poison she knew about. In this case she had selected one from Kara Darhk’s Eclipse unlimited store. Aptly named Slow it would do exactly as its title implied and work to slow the Bijuu down if she managed to get any into its system. Once it wasn’t moving like greased lightning anymore it would be much easier to deal with.


---

stuff:

It was rather clear to Arisu that in terms of speed, she was slightly superior, but she wasn't sure if she'd be able to maintain that level of speed without running low on chakra, and the Bijuu was beginning to veer towards the village. Of course, that put in on a main course towards the larger population of civilians, but it also put it towards Arisu's summon, which was pathing its way to get in the way in the next few seconds so at least there was an obstacle it would need to encounter, let alone the Bijuu having to worry about those that were pursuing it.

Arisu was more or less ignoring the rest of the people that were currently dealing with it, since she couldn't actually do much to protect them if they needed it, and the Bijuu seemed to be giving them the run around. She retracted her chains while she gained on the Bijuu, a few meters closing every second, more and more if it needed to stop or turn or try and dodge a specific way.

With them moving towards each other, the bird and the Bijuu would be closing distance rapidly and that's when the bird would launch its well prepared Fuuton technique at the top half of the Bijuu. Casting usually slowed down a creature to at least the speed of their technique so that they didn't run into it, so if it needed to launch a Katon technique or bijuu bomb, it would have to lower its speed to match that at least, or change directions which would also disrupt the speed marginally enough to matter in regards to Arisu's plan.

Based on her prior usage, Arisu knew the speed her portals opened and the distance between her and the Bijuu, so she opened one directly under the Bijuu to hurl herself through the portal at speed. The height of the creature, the speed of both of their movement, and the focus it held on maintaining its run should make it difficult if impossible for it to notice the portal. It essentially shortened the distance between them to a sum zero as it would pass over the portal, so when she exited the portal she'd be only 30 meters away at most and continue closing from there. Her chains would once again extend, and so long as one touched the bijuu, it would be over, with her still closing the distance as long as she needed to.

With her summon's attack having been aimed towards the upper half of the bijuu, she wouldn't be in danger of being hit by it, and anything that the Bijuu would do that would impact her would also have to impact itself or get it captured by her chains, reducing any of its own attack's power low enough that she could deal with the consequences if she needed to. The end result hopefully still was an immobilized enemy.
---
1 tier Reductions on Non Elemental jutsu
Last round's calcs:
-10 Chains
-10 Yomotsu Hirasaka teleport
-6 for 2 Body flickers
-0.5 for Chakra visualizaiton

Nature:
-5 sm
-5 kata
---
This round's calcs:
-5 chains upkeep
-5 Yomotsu Hirasaka teleport
-6 for 2 body flickers
-0.5 chakra visualization

Nature
-5 sm
-5 kata

Total Chakra: 318.5/ 385
Total Nature: 160/190

-----
Drill Beak summon:
2 turns of using Bird Style (-10 total)
Using Great Sickle Weasel Technique (Fuuton affinity) -10

Spoiler:

Remaining Bird: 160/185

Sero would watch the creature flee towards the village and begin to pursue. Dropping Tate Eboshi entirely for now as he charged forward. Sero wasn't as fast as most the others in this fight but he wouldn't simply ignore the beast heading towards the village. It was evading their attacks for now. Still Sero would not take the time to attempt to run around the oncoming wave. With barely any space between where it was and the distance between the two waves he would only cross an opening for perhaps a dozen meters before merging into the other wave. The water crashing over him as he continued to move through it without any resistance. His purple eyes watching the Bijuu. The two most powerful present besides the Bijuu would clash with it. Ryuko was recognizable enough with her legendary summons and armors. His own princess had been the one to promote him. So he knew of them both. Still he would turn towards the beast as they collided with it. Moving to attempt to place himself between it and the village. He would kill the beast before he let it near the village. As he had killed other threats. Still something was tugging at him from within.

within as he ran there was an internal surge of bijuu chakra. Pressing at the seal and testing for weak points. It had bided its time for its host to let his guard down. To be pushed into a situation where it needed them. Already he was going through chakra to no avail. If he didn't figure something out soon he would accomplish nothing...however there was a whisper in his mind. A shadow stretching from him like long shadows deep beneath the surface of the water.

"Use me fool. Use my power to protect your village. If it gets through them....you won't stop it alone. And I can't have my host die trying. Ask me nicely and I might consider helping you."

the five tails would whisper. Boiling red chakra pushing against the walls of the seal as it strove to break free. To burn at that damn prison cell and escape in the confusion. One bijuu was bad enough but two? Still Sero would continue to move within the water at A rank speed. Keeping low to the bottom of the pool. Choosing the most direct path. He didn't care if this thing wanted to just leave. It was too dangerous. Though....so was he right?

Still Sero would let his eyes fall on the village. His loyalty was to his nation and its people....not to their perspective and comparison between him and this beast. The truth was it would likely be Arisu who was the biggest threat to him. However Sero was no fool to be manipulated. He wouldn't jump to conclusions and consider his options. For now he would only upkeep sensory and keep moving. With any luck the beast hadn't seen him from behind it while it was being engaged by those three in close quarters for less than a second between the waters in the steam. Purple eyes would watch the chakra signature of the bijuu. Waiting to strike. Trying to move along its predicted path. Answering the whisper in his head.

"Do not try and trick me as your pry and prod for a way out demon. I am your warden and you will not be free of me."

.5 sensory

The attempt of the flying warrior did not go as she hoped. The Nibi couldn’t know mind you, because she was not facing the direction of the warrior clad in armor and light. Could not know that the warrior had tried again to stop her actions. Because she had already passed the location where the warrior could intercept her by the time the warrior was turning to try to stop her. Given the flying one's ascent speed and her stopping point of 125 meters. As well as the Nibi’s speed of 185 meters per second. The warrior could not possibly have caught her in time to stop the ball from launching. Given the Warrior could not stop her, her summon had no chance at all of landing any attacks.

The Bijudama, the ball of utter destruction and havoc that was the calling card of her and her brethren, lanced out, already out of the reach of the woman that tried to stop its cataclysmic power. It impacted the ground and the explosion radiated outward. The wave front of the blast hitting the man that had jumped off the wave of water and kill him. Leaving nothing behind but a cooling corpse to be collected by friends and loved ones. One of the legendary weapons of the Mist left knocked away, tossed into the surrounding area to be recovered and found. The beast would continue on its run, unabated. Above she would see an incoming winged attacker, a wind release technique firing at where she would be soon enough. As the winged bird of prey fired the technique, the Nibi maintaining its speed, she would catch the scent of another. Much closer, and almost alien scent.

Acting quickly and without breaking her momentum she would activate a technique during one of her steps. Intending to create distance between her and her new attacker. The step of one of her great strides causing a fissure, expanding out, her own steps allowing her to dodge the technique without issue. But for those with smaller bodies, more shortened strides, the fiery fissure that exploded upward with azure fire would be deadly indeed. Expanding from the point of impact and exploding. Meanwhile the great cat herself would shift directions, moving back alongside her original route out of the village but now no longer potentially about to run over occupied waters. Now, only smooth ground would be beneath her feet all the way unless stopped. Hopefully the fissure in the ground would give the beast the split second necessary to change directions without the threat from behind catching her. Her maximum speed starting and stopping as swiftly as she could turn. The bird of prey’s jutsu from above would not reach her in time to strike her due to its own slow speed and the beast firing it doing so from 250m away from the Nibi’s original position when she fired the first Bijudama. Expecting it to run into its range. The beast's stopping point would actually be at the wind blasts maximum range of 150m But the direction change would take her out of its width before it finished closing the distance.

At the same time, because of the destructive force of the Bijudama that had impacted the ground, it’s blast front was coming. Hopefully creating a more..time critical situation for her seemingly teleporting pursuer to act. Although the beast did not expect its escape would go easily even now with one of it’s pursuers dead.

-

[5]

Stuff:

Ryuko was supposed to be someone capable of making the optimal choices and executing them. For the briefest of seconds she was filled with hope that maybe, just maybe, that even if she couldn’t catch up to the Matatabi and clock it with her kick that she could at least stop the second bijuudama. A hope that was mercilessly crushed before her eyes as the ball was launched before she could reach it, forcing her to abort the use of Poison Release: Venom Cutter since she was nowhere near to a range where it could actually hit.

Both in her role as a Vestal of Hakkin and a Queen she was the defender of the Land of lightning. If you asked her she would say she wasn’t entirely happy that her nation had been taken over by the Land of Water but because they had treated her people well she could accept in her heart that effectively the two lands had now more or less become one. It’s people where now her people to protect.

That wasn’t to say she was about to sign up to become an official member of the
Kirigakure’s roster but since she was friends with at least one of its three princesses she could effectively be considered an ally if the village came under threat like it was now. Her only real stake in this battle was to help her friend. Her primary mission was to prevent any untimely deaths. A mission she had just failed spectacularly.

Considering how smart she was she’d realized she wasn’t going to make it but hadn’t wanted to admit to her failure because doing so would make it more real. For all that she had done to prepare to fight stuff like Bijuu the fact was she’d never actually experienced fighting one until now. Knowledge from books could only take you so far and now she had learned the hard way just how arrogant her thinking had been. Contain it with minimal damage? Get real. She couldn’t do that, no more than she could completely stop a hurricane without it wrecking some property.

The truth was that probably WAS the optimal course of action she could have taken at the time. Almost none of her jutsu were fast enough to actually tag the Bijuu. The Dragoon Dive had been her best bet for the situation at hand, it just hadn’t been good enough. If only she had been better. If only she had full control of Rafaela. But this wasn’t the time for thinking about alternate possibilities or wallowing in guilt, it was time for action. She couldn’t afford to do nothing and allow someone else to follow Raphael to the grave.

Matatabi was trying to make a break for it again instead of heading to the village but now that it had drawn blood she was no longer in a mood to simply let it scamper off. Right now Ryuko’s face hidden under her helmet was filled with a righteous indignation at a level she hadn’t experienced since the fall of Moonspire. Considering how she was normally very calm and genial it made for quite the contrast. This was the Queen at her absolute scariest, 100% Maximum no chill.

“MATATABI!” She screamed Bijuu's name at the top of her lungs. She wanted it to know that she was coming for it. That she was resolved to do whatever it took short of throwing her life away to see the bijuu pay for its crime. There was no escaping her even if she had to chase it to the ends of the earth.

[3]

stuff:

Arisu stepped out of the portal, her chains reaching up towards the Nibi, jumping towards the closest portion of its body or limbs. At the same time, the Nibi began to charge its own attack as it smelled her presence, massive chakra charging through its body, picked up by her own chakra visualization. Of course, it had to slam its paw into the ground and release the chakra into the world. Its timing would allow her to grab a hold of it with one of her chains, halting the running, but the damage would be done with its stomp.

The world around her would tear up in a fissure, the chakra pumping through the ground, but with the chains having made contact with the Bijuu, two things would happen: The chakra's efficiency would be greatly reduced, the jutsu's power reducing by two tiers. The other thing that would happen is that the Bijuu wouldn't be able to escape the blowback itself as the binding power of the chains immobilized it.

Of course, Arisu would be caught in that blowback, but she was able to muscle through the damage only slightly injured by the burns. Her constitution had been enhanced enough by the Sage Mode to deal with the reduced attack. She didn't mind taking some damage to end this chase though. It wasn't clear to her what damage the Bijuu had managed to accomplish in its short amount of time free, and the longer it was out, the more likely it was to hurt more people, something she very much wanted to avoid.

The chains wrapped around the Nibi's paws and body, while Arisu summoned the Gedou statue, transferring the chains from her to the statue. It would begin to retract the Bijuu into it, until the process of integration was completed. At that point, it would despawn, and the capture would be completed. Arisu's focus was mostly on that, although she maintained an awareness of her surroundings in the meantime. She was sure that someone would approach her soon, Ryuko had after all appeared out of nowhere, presumably for a reason.

"Rejoice, as you rejoin your body and regain that which you have lost."

She was able to ignore the pain of the damage received, as the chains had reduced the S rank power down to B rank. It wasn't entirely negligible, but it wasn't debilitating either.

-
-30 Summoning Gedou Statue
-5 maintaining chains
-0.5 maintain Chakra Visualization

-10 for Sage Mode and Kata

Stamina: 283/385
Nature: 150/190

It had not worked.

It was all it could have done to try to keep from being captured by whomever had suddenly appeared behind it but it simply had not been enough.

As the creature touched down on the ground, it would feel a sinister grip wrap round its back most leg. Like a writhing thing that felt cold and horrid to its touch. Of course that would be how the bijuu felt it. All it knew was that its strength left its body when that sinister feeling loop wrap around it. Others would join, wrapping around its body and limbs. As it tried to struggle but lacked the strength to truly do so. Now that it was captured though it could look at its captor and it turned its head just as the Gedou Mazou spawned in from the call of its summoners.

The Nibi’s struggling strengthened as it realized its fate. It’s voice coming out clearly. “No, no! I don’t want to go back. I do not want to be that thing again!” It would cry out as the chains began to reel the beast in like a fish on a line. Its claws would claw at the earth beneath it, tearing furrows in it as it tried, futilely to remain free. “Seal me into another, I don’t care, just don’t trap me in that thing!” It would cry as it last its desperate struggle before being pulled into the great statue. Its cries and struggles becoming silent as the situation upon the training field abruptly turned from crisis to aftermath.

[6]

Exit

Sero would see the end of the fight. At first he had thought Arisu had been caught up in a technique that would likely end her. One of the princesses falling would not do anyone any good. Even as the bijuu shifted as if to run Sero would change in a direct path to Arisu. If he could recover her at this point it would take priority over the death of the beast. He would hunt it again later if he had to. Perhaps come up with some way to lock it down. He had considered using Kirisame but that would only benefit him primarily. At least...perhaps if he had that bijuu bomb wouldn't have taken the other jounin. However he would quickly see that she had not in fact taken much damage from the technique. Instead she had simply tanked it and taken down the bijuu. He would emerge from the water and walk forward. Even as the creature howled its dismay his cold purple eyes would watch it. Calculating as he contemplated attempting to do what he was meant to do while it was vulnerable. However had Arisu wished for that she would do it. Instead he surmised it was a prison.

He would still arrive close enough for everyone to feel him arrive. That sense of being hunted filling a ten meter radius around him. He knew Arisu would expect it...but he wanted the bijuu to feel it. To know that something there wanted it dead. To know that Sero...wanted it dead. He would stare into its eyes until the very moment it turned to energy and was absorbed into the statue. He would not forget what these things were capable of...what the thing inside of him was capable of. Still his concern would be when Ryuko arrived. He did not know them beyond stories of them. A foreigner had helped them but he would idly position himself between Arisu and Ryuko. Aware of the danger that raiton impressed upon him. Still he seemed to hold no fear of his own. Instead turning sideways so he could address either with a turn of his head. His clothes shifted to a black button up tucked into black slacks with a black sports jacket. His dark hair framing his glowing purple eyes as he looked to the statue and then to Arisu. Speaking plainly with a cold violence to his words.

"Such a creature is too dangerous to let roam free. Hence why I engaged it to prevent it from leaving. However I think if possible we should kill it. Like a beast who turned on its master. Having killed one of ours it has forfeited it's right to live. However imprisoned that life may be. I would also like to know where it came from....As for you Ryuko, The walking fortress suits you. However your timing is impeccable. Odd that you would arrive to our aid the moment a bijuu appears. I would have you state your business before I remove myself from between you and lady Arisu."

*flashback*

Upon entering the battle a part of Ryuko’s consciousness had entered the soulscape.  Another dimension where she could speak on a spiritual level to the other inhabitant of her body Rafaela.  Normally they could talk to each other mentally but this was a special place where the laws of physics were much looser than normal, especially time.  

A long conversation here would be nothing more than a microsecond on the outside.   It wasn’t the kind of place that the Queen could enter normally at will but the heavy use of Rafaela’s powers had created this golden opportunity for a heart to heart.  And like any merchant worth their salt, Ryuko was never one to pass up a good opportunity.

Currently the Queen was sitting in a chair sipping tea, while Rafaela sat beside her.  The two were surrounded by a throng of people identical to Ryuko herself, the only difference lay in their various ages and outfits.   Each one represented a different aspect of Ryuko’s personality from her inner child wearing a sundress, the teenage shrine priestess from when she had first joined Kumogakure,  to one wearing the Raikage robes and many more besides.

“The primary topic today is. What shall we do with the Matatabi?” Asked Rafaela. As someone who predated the sage of six paths herself she naturally had accumulated all kinds of knowledge over the years, including the names of the bijuu.  Naturally even if she didn’t know herself before merging with Ryuko, her Host was well read and had done plenty of research into the subject back in her pre-jounin days when she had been trying to discover ways to match up to Honiko.

“Me, Me,  I want to pat the kitty.”  answered Child Ryuko with a squeal of delight causing several of the other Ryuko’s present to murmur in agreement.   Some even added that they would like to sit down and have tea with the Bijuu. You see at the end of the day Ryuko was a cat person to the very core of her being and owned several of the furry creatures that were kept at her various properties.  

“Does anyone have anything more productive to add?”  asked Rafaela with a high sigh. As the only outsider she was effectively acting as moderator to the discussion to keep things moving in a positive direction.

“How about we seal her in a sword or something? I bet that would turn it into a great flamethrower.”  said Scientist Ryuko. For once she was speaking without her classic trademark accent.  Really what need was there to make that extra effort when she was talking to herself?

“We could seal her in ourselves.”  Suggested a ragged Ryuko with burnt hands,  The one from the aftermath of  the events in the Valley of Jehoshaphat.  The one desperate to get her hands on power and see Nozomi again.

“No human could hold the power of two entities and survive.  Your body would probably explode from the attempt.”  replied Rafaela with a pout. She didn’t like the unsaid implication that her host would have preferred the burning cat over herself.

“Then what if we dragged it into our control battle to take it off the field.  Two birds with one stone.”  said stagast Ryuko who was wearing a pair of glasses that she pushed up with one finger because that’s what all really intelligent people seem to do in manga.

“Are you insane?”  screeched Rafaela.   “Worst case scenario it breaks the wall between dimensions and we end up having two Kijuu on the field to deal with.  I get that you want to fight fire with fire but it’s too risky.  Sure it’d be nice if Matatabi helped us in return for her freedom but she’d be just as likely to turn on us in the middle of the trial.”      

The last thing she wanted was for her host to die. Or worse for her to take her Host’s place.  As a sage Ryuko was stronger then Rafaela had been back in her prime, the strongest host she had ever had. Well her prime as a living person at any rate.   Rafaela had a special power from Hakkin that made her ageless, practically immortal but had chosen to pass on after only 120 years in order to obtain yet further strength.  

Very few of her hosts survived to take the trial to become a proven champion in the first place,  they usually died in mutual destruction when facing whatever threat in which they had been granted power to confront.  Fewer still passed the trial.   If any could pass the trail and reach perfect synchronization it was Ryuko.

With the land of lightning now occupied Rafaela was beginning to grow concerned by how unhinged her host was being.  First the reckless use of Heavenly transport when their hadn’t been any apparent urgency for her trip to Kirigakure and now Ryuko was throwing out the kinds of unsensible suggestions she normally wouldn’t give the slightest thought.

“What if we team up with Matabai and run riot on Kiri. If we cause enough damage they won’t be able to maintain control of Kumogakure. This could be our best chance to take it back for ourselves.” Suggested punished Ryuko who was wearing a black eyepatch for some reason despite not being a pirate.     She knew damn well that normally in a direct confrontation she wouldn’t stand a chance.   Any one Princess could give her a very hard time,  The three of them together would make mincemeat out of her.

“Heck no, We’re not backstabbing our friend like that.” Shot back all the other Ryuko’s simultaneously.  With the exception of the darkest part of herself, Ryuko was a woman of principle.  She had to follow her creed even when times were tough because otherwise what else would she have?

“Well if nothing else we can protect Kiri right?”  asked Hero Ryuko, who was wearing a golden spandex outfit that her student Tsumi would have been proud of.   “It’d be nice to tell the people something like ‘Never fear, for I am here!’  or 'Everything is alright'” she added with a bright smile on her face.  
***

Present

Except everything wasn’t alright.  Deep down she’d wanted to showboat to impress Arisu but instead her attempt to play the knight in shining armor had backfired. She had come so close to a perfect outcome only for it to slip through her fingers leaving her feeling empty and powerless.  If she couldn’t save one person how could she expect to protect an entire country?    Some hero she was.    

As feelings of self loathing whirled around her Ryuko did her best to push them to the side. The earth was still turning and life still went on.  She couldn’t let this get her down when she still had a mission to accomplish and  a dream to achieve.   Arisu was a key player for her plans moving forward  which meant she couldn’t afford to screw this meeting up and be sent packing.

Seeing that Arisu had things well in hand, Ryuko disengaged her wings.  No need to keep burning her soul away for extra mobility now that the battle was over.  Or at least it should be over since right now the Queen didn’t have a hostile bone in her body.   Even before being able to fly she had been a master of air to air combat,  while she was still fairly high in the air since she had been aiming for the Bijuu’s head with her kick the height was trivial to someone of her skill level, especially since she could use her jumpstep jutsu to slow her decent.

Making her landing she wondered just what the heck Arisu had done to Matatabi that it had been begging to be sealed away into another person rather than a frankly creepy looking statue.  A small part of her wondered what Arisu was going to do with the Cat. Likely shove it into a new host so that its power could be put to some good.   Ryuko might not like the use of Jinchuriki much but she supposed that in this case it would at least a kind of justice of sorts from the Feline’s crimes to be sealed away for a time.

With a snap of her fingers she dismissed Ghidorah back to his cave in the The Abandoned Caverns.  She was more than a little disappointed by his poor performance in battle today.  For all the energy she had spent calling him over his presence had been a net negative.

“Tis a creature of pure energy.   Such a thing can’t be killed in the conventional sense. Attempting to do so will only result in the beast reconstituting itself  over time.”   explained Ryuko as she  approached Arisu at a casual pace only to feel a wave of malice wash over her from the man who had inserted himself between the two of them.  

Though she assumed at least some of that was simply him being mad at the Bijuu who had killed his friend and not actually meant for her. Turning her helmeted head upwards towards the taller man she calmly analyzed him to jog her memory banks and quickly realized that while they had never met he was somebody she had heard of.  

“Sero Jaakuna, Well met” She spoke his name with a hint of amusement in her voice.  Given that she was perhaps his very antistasis, his hostility was akin to the barking of a stay dog. Albeit one that could nip her if she got careless.   Or perhaps a petulant child given the rather rude attitude he’d taken towards her considering she had just saved his life a few moments ago.

He'd dropped one of her titles so she would have done him the same courtesy if it wasn’t for the fact she was concerned he might be offended given the nature of the title in question.   It wasn’t everyday one met another ‘named’ ninja.    She almost wanted to say it was a pleasure to meet him if it wasn’t for the unfortunate circumstances they had found themselves in.  

It was so tempting to ask him if he was sure he should be addressing a dignitary so casually but for now since she had entered full negotiation which meant she had to be extra mindful of her manners.

“Fortuitous as the timing of my appearance was, Tis nothing more than a stroke of luck I assure you.  Given that I teleported in directly from Kumogakure there is no possible way I could have known you were under attack before I arrived.   I may be capable of a great many things but clairvoyance isn’t one of them.”  replied Ryuko.  

What did he think she had somehow set things up so that the Bijuu was released on Kiri just so she could come in to save the day?  How absurd.  Such an elaborate scheme would be a far more tiresome effort than it was worth.
 
“As for my business… Does one need a reason to come see a friend?” She asked with a slight sigh, feeling a touch exasperated. Arisu wasn’t exactly her bestie but they were pals, though even Ryuko would have to admit that rushing in the way she had without sending a letter first announcing her arrival was a tad unusual.  

Reaching her hands up she took off her helmet to reveal her face, marred with signs of tear streaks  over the purple sage markings on her cheeks and a dribble of fresh blood from the right side of her mouth.  Even though she had regenerated evidence of the damage she had taken using the Heavenly Transport jutsu remained.   Even as she stowed the helmet under her left armpit the sage marks visibly faded away from sight as she stopped circulating Senjutsu charka throughout her body, disengaging sage mode.

“Would you feel more at ease If I called one of my summons over to hold my gear?”   She offered.  She was no plebeian, which meant she wouldn’t be leaving her weapons lying around the ground for someone to potentially swipe.  

Not waiting for an answer she sent a small amount of chakra to the ring on her right hand causing a Red five foot turtle to appear beside her in a burst of smoke.  She’d gone for the most harmless summon she could muster that could still hold her things.  At C-rank it hadn’t even been worth using the enchantment on her Stardust staff to reduce the cost.    

Since actions spoke louder than words Ryuko made a show of visibly disarming herself, handing the turtle the bulk of her arsenal starting with the deadliest X-rank spear and working her way down to the item pouches that contained kunai and other various tools.  

Though really this gesture was more symbolic than anything since the most dangerous weapon wasn’t any one piece of equipment but Ryuko herself, not that there was much she could do about that since she wasn’t about to let them tie her up or handcuff her.

Still considering that she wasn’t in home territory Ryuko wasn’t foolish enough to put all of her tools away.  She kept her batons, staff and shield.  Things that were more defensive in nature then offensive.   Great for protecting herself but not well suited for killing, at least not quickly.

She didn’t stop at most of her weapons but even went as far as to give the turtle the outer layer of her armor.   Without the cold metallic shell that had given her the title of Walking fortress and most of her gear this was the most vulnerable she’d been around others since before she had even become the Yondaime Raikage.   Once she was done the turtle vanished with a puff of smoke meaning that she would have to summon him again first to reequip herself.  If Sero still doubted her after she’d gone this far to prove her intentions she wouldn’t know what to say.

Her armor was for combat.  Now that the fighting was over she needed to be equipped for fighting of a different sort.  The light pink outfit she wore under her armor was suitably elegant for the task at hand though she regretted that she’d missed the chance to change into something even fancier.

“Now do you mind if I give my friend some medical treatment?”  she asked. There was that word again.  She was using it repeatedly to emphasize that she wasn’t here to cause trouble.  Performing the Ox → Tiger hand seals at a much slower than usual D-level speed Ryuko’s right hand began to pulse with visible green medical chakra.  If Sero allowed her, she would now approach Arisu and begin to heal her burns.

“Arisu” she said, addressing the princess casually.  “We mustn’t allow that pretty face of yours to scar.”   Coming from a lesser woman, that remark might have seemed snide but from someone like Ryuko it came off as a sincere   compliment.

[4]

stuff:

Raika manages to check in on Dante and find that he's fine, and had actually slept through the entire thing. She's somewhat dismayed by this and considers waking him up to chide him on not paying attention, but decides she can do so later when he wakes up; the danger is passed anyway and he ended up just fine. Instead, she leaves just as silently as she did when she came into his home, slipping out quietly and then running back to her previous vantage point with Blitz, just to see that the Nibi is nowhere to be seen now. She nudges Blitz and then gives Kami a quick wave, followed by blowing her a kiss, just to get another reaction out of her before she dashes across the body of water the large group had been fighting the Nibi on. She sees one of the Kirigakure Princesses, and turns her head to watch her, recognizing her as Arisu, whom some called Alice, and as soon as she makes eye contact with the incredibly pale woman, Raika instantly looks away again. Their eyes and their general appearance always made Raika on edge for some reason, although she couldn't explain it.

For anyone with chakra sensory active, it would feel as though she herself was tainted by the Nibi's chakra, though it was heavily diluted by her own expansive stores of chakra, feeling quite dense and heavy as it wafts from her. She scents the air and sees some woman that she doesn't recognize at all, but she's dressed to the nines. If Raika wasn't so comfortable with her own body, she might try to hide her own tattered clothing or the way it exposed quite a lot of her skin, though her Nemean Cloak and her bangle would look comparatively new. Ironically, those two were actually the oldest pieces of equipment that she wore, along with the Hiramekarei on her back for now. She also scented other people, far more familiar, including Sero, her immediate leader as the head of the Nightmare Brigade, and Raphael, who was the leader of the other clan she was a member of. But while she could see Sero, Arisu, and this other woman, she didn't see Raphael, though she could still smell his distinctive scent. Raika looks all around herself, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she can't seem to find him at all, and his scent is practically all over the place.

"Lord Sero. Princess Arisu. Er... third person."

Raika doesn't really bow to any of them, the closest she really gets is a nod to each of them in turn, with her head dipping down a little bit further for Sero and Arisu. Then she turns her mouth aside, still highly confused as she crosses her arms and juts her right hip out, still not aware of what had happened to Raphael and that she had, in fact, somewhat witnessed his death, but that he'd been too far away from her for her to recognize the bijuudama's strike for what it was, the death of Raphael Uzumaki.

"Where's the clan leader of the Uzumaki clan? I scented him when he passed out of Kirigakure to join in the combat. Don't tell me he ran off like some kind of coward..."

Her tone makes it clear that if he'd done so, that she would never forgive him for such disgrace to a clan she didn't even fully claim the name of just yet.

Following Raikia from the comfort of the view into the recent battlefield the sense of heat was enduring to the Yuki but yet he persisted as did his mentor. From his view he was startled to see three people, one only he knew but yet the three would remain. Hearing from Raika one of those warriors was a princess he could only bow his head further in their respect especially for his Sensei.

He was glad to see them alive yet he wondered who the other warrior was and how he should be remembered. Rising straight up he glanced at each of them individually studying and admiring the valor. Such acts were indeed in the name of peace; the beast needed to be trapped and the battle was won. The casualties weren’t needed but it was limited. Blitz ended off looking at Sero himself before speaking his mind.

“Sensei’s! It’s an honor to stand before such might! I’m glad you’re alive, Sensei.”