New Friends (Salzem, Kasai, P, NK)

Kasai stood in the training fields alone, though he would not be for long. After the not so professional election that had taken place, Kasai had found a new friend in Salzem; a younger man, but with much potential. He had summoned him there that day so they could practice, and to teach him new jutsu, if he wished of course.

And so Kasai stood waiting, looking out on the grass field, feeling the sun beat down on his scarred face. It was a good feeling, and he did not mind it in the least. He had finally grown used to the many markings that covered his face and tormented him earlier. Before, he had worn the mask to hide the scars, but now he did not care. He had grown since then, and thus, the mask which had once been his face now hung around his neck.

Salzem walked into the training grounds, heeding the summons of his newer friend Kasai. He had grown accustom to the older man, seeing as they have a obvious similarity in they ways of the mask. He must know how it feels to be restricted to the confines of forces breath and steel (or in his case, leather and wood). Unlike with Kasai's mask, Salzem wore his because he was forced to. His mask aided his destroyed lungs, helping them process the oxygen they took in themselves. It also reminded him of all of his troubles. He blamed his mask for his current state. It was first bullies, then average people. His father died and he blamed it on the mask. Thoughts of anger seeped into his mind, growing firmly over his sanguine eyes. He ca,e to a clearing, a plain where the sun beat down upon him. Standing in the middle of the field, facing away from him was Kasai. Salzem suppressed his anger, forcing it down into the pits of his stomach. A friend should not be subject to my issues. He thought to himself as he approached. He noticed the scars that masked over Kasai's face. Perhaps he was still wearing his mask, just not the wooden one. The only reason Salzem kept this one on was under threat of death. Salzem forced a smile, still having not worked through his spontaneous rage.
"Hey!" he called out to Kasai, hoping to grab his attention.

At the sound of a familiar voice, Kasai turned around to see Salzem, mask and all, walking towards him. Kasai smiled.

"Hello, Salzem," he said, nodding his head in a greeting. "How are you? And are you ready to train?"

Kasai assumed the answer would be yes, and if it was, he would ask another question.

"Is there anything you would like to learn that perhaps I could teach you?" Kasai only knew fire, but he knew some basic jutsu as well; ones that did not have elements behind them. He could teach any of these to the young man, if he wished. Or, perhaps they could just simply spar, a challenge for Salzem, yes, but what better way to learn than to be pushed to your limits? He would do whatever the man wanted, Kasai was in no desperate need to grow stronger at the moment.

(sorry for the short post. Family over and what not)

(Sal good man)

Salzem smiled, seeing Kasai had acknowledged him. He walked up to his new friend, so that they were only a few feet apart. Salzem heard Kasai's question and nodded, grinning slightly.

"What else do we do here?" Salzem joked. His humor was  not the greatest in konoha, so his punchlines left much to be desired. Salzem heard Kasai's second question and cocked his head, thinking.
"No, I don't think you can teach me anything now... But, we can spar." Salzem looked Kasai up and down before adding "And maybe I can show you a thing or two."  Salzem lowered himself into a fighting stance, hands raised to guard against incoming blows. He took a defensive stance, always letting the opponent have the first move.

"I know most of what I can learn," Kasai replied. "While staying with only one element, of course."

Then, Kasai took a step back, and slowly raised his hands to his chest, smiling slightly at the thought of a duel. Very slowly, Kasai snapped his fingers together into one seal; the ram. With that, body flicker activated, and Kasai flew forwards at a tremendous speed of 150; a speed which (if I did the math right) Salzem couldn't process (reaction time= speed+ 60). The grass almost ripped out of the ground as he flew towards the younger man, almost teleporting with the speed.

As he came out of the body flicker speed, Kasai dropped to the ground, sliding, and aiming a kick at Salzem's left ankle, an attempt to knock him off his feet. He did this slightly slower, to not end the fight instantly (50 speed).

He hoped Salzem would process this part in time, and dodge the sliding kick.

Salzem blinked and Kasai was no longer there, the ground where he once stood torn asunder. Salzem looked down, seeing movement below him. He looked down, seeing Kasai throwing a sweeping kick towards his legs. Salzem leaped back, (speed 30 + reaction 60) out of the way of the attack. Salzem then weaving signs for the clone jutsu. Two clones appeared, one on either side of him, mimicking his movements as he lowered his hands. He would then leap forward, all three Salzems circling Kasai, picking up speed as they moved (44) After a second, He would ram his hands together in the ram sign, activating the Body flicker technique, (speed 74) moving so that each of the clones and Salzem appeared to be attacking from three different angles. The would attack low, bringing their legs up in a Leaf Rising Wind (Strength: 46 Speed: 65), intending to knock Kasai into the air where his speed would be useless. Should this succeed, the clones would disappear in smoke after coming in contact with the Chuunin, leaving Salzem below to follow up with his attack.

(sorry for taking so long. Graduation took away all my time yesterday.)

As Kasai watched the young man's reaction speed, a thought went through his mind. But, of course, he would need more than one. But this one for sure. He was fast, good. Knows some jutsu as well, that's better. Who would the other two be though? If all were to go as planned, and Tatsuya were to become Hokage, Kasai knew where he would stand, and what his mission would be, but to succeed in this, he needed others. Hunting alone was no easy business, and to hunt killers was something else. Perhaps though.

Watching the two clones come up, Kasai knew that they were not physical things, and could not touch him, but it was a clever move none the less. He had not had the time to memorize Salzem's chakra nature, and therefore could not determine one from the other with his sense. 

However, he would not give the younger man the victory this easily.

Tiger. Boar. Ox. Dog. Snake.

As he waved the hand seals, Kasai made sure to get his timing correct so that as Salzem's attack would collide with Kasai, they would collide with a simple wooden log instead, leaving Kasai standing a few meters away, unharmed and upright. 

"Not bad," he said, raising his hands to his chest again (560 - 10 from previous post and -5 from this= 545 ap left). "You're fast, that's good."

With that, Kasai quickly made the half tiger seal (545-5 =540 ap left), and released a stream of fire from his mouth. However, as it only traveled at 10 speed, Kasai did not aim at Salzem, but the ground in front of him, making a small wall of flames between the two of them.

Then, Kasai quickly began to weave more handseals, as the small wall of flames remained roughly in the exact center of the two of them.

Salzem stopped his attack as a piece of wood replaced that which was Kasai. He looked around, finally seeing his opponent a few meters away, weaving signs, no doubt for a fire-style technique. A ball of fire moving slowly erupted from in between Kasai’s lips, seemingly flying in his direction. However, about half-way between them, the fire ball fell apart, forming a firewall between the two of them. Salzem cocked his head, wondering why he would create such an obstacle. Salzem picked up the piece of wood that Kasai had replaced himself with. It was heavy. Good. It needed to be. Salzem lifted the wood over his head, throwing it through the firewall that separated the two of them (speed 25). The log would fly towards Kasai, a flaming projectile, punching a whole through the flames. Salzem would follow behind the log, jumping through the hole, narrowly avoiding the punishing heat. Should Kasai see the burning log and dodge, Salzem would leap up behind him and proceed attack with a series of high and low kicks, a leaf whirlwind, ending with a slamming axe kick, intending to knock Kasai to the ground. If he got hit by the log, Salzem would reach out, grabbing the unburnt branch that stuck out from the side and proceed to the log as a club, slamming the wood at Kasai (Strength: 25 Speed: 44)
 
Stamina: 175/210

Kasai had already begun to weave the hand signs for the clone technique, Salzem's use of it reminding Kasai that he had the same ability; one which he had not used in a long time. However, watching the log being thrown through the flames, he realized that perhaps it might be useful. After ram, snake, and tiger, two clones of Kasai appeared, though both on his left, to make the one in the middle not be the real him (540-5=535ap left).

Then, Kasai dodged the burning log moments before it hit him, and then had the clone in the center prepare to dodge Salzem's attack, while the real him and the other clone jumped back a few feet and prepare to charge in.

(short post again, sorry)

Salzem watched as he closed in, Kasai formed two clones, one to his left, and the other to his right. The Kasai in front of him dodged his assault, the other two moved to the left. Salzem jumped back a meter, watching the feet of the Kasais. If they were illusions, the grass around their feet wouldn’t be smashed. Salzem saw that one, one on the left had crushed grass around his legs and identified him as the real Kasai. Salzem looked around for the log, about a yard away, fire going out. Salzem scooped up the log, facing the real Kasai, raising the log like a shield by its branch. Salzem noted that there was a tree behind him with a perfect 4 ft. branch hanging off of one of the bigger branches, appearing almost like a broad sword with all the smaller twigs branching off. He jumped up, tearing stick from the tree, holding his wooden make-shift shield up in a defensive posture while holding his wooden make-shift sword in front, point facing the real Kasai. Salzem waited patiently for the attack, shifting his gaze between the three clones as to not give away that he knew which one was the real one.
 
Stamina 185
+10 Not done anything requiring stamina
.