The Blood Games

Mitako certainly wasn't caught off guard after that little brush in with the puppets blades, which were successfully broken it seemed. The puppet itself however, just as Mitako went to take a swipe at it, threw itself on him. He attempted to brace with his left arm, since his blade was in his right hand. The strength at which it did so seemed abnormal, and it quickly overpowered Mitako, who had no choice but to be thrown off the edge of the platform and into the waters below. Just as his feet broke the waters surface, and he hit his ankles, he used the surface walking technique to prevent himself from actually sinking. Given that the puppet had hit him hard enough to launch him to the other end of the pool almost, this put only a few meters in between him and Malvoes. Since the puppet had waited a few seconds for something, this gave Mitako the time he needed to make his play. 

Holding the ram sign, he activated the body flicker technique, and darted off towards Malvoes as fast as possible, coming to a stop exactly three meters away, stopping by Hysterio's body. As fast, and with as much force as he could muster, he quickly threw the sword horizontally towards Malvoes, before leaning over to snatch Hysterio's sword from his hands, also as fast as possible. Then, he ran towards Malvoes, his sand behind him, coming al-

Wait. Nope, with that instinctive act of trying to control his sand, Mitako neglected that he was much too worn to continue on, and just sort of passed out, Hysterio's blade falling at his feet as he fell to the ground.

The blade that Mitako threw, was aimed for Malvoes' chest, and since it was spinning, well. If it hit at all, the handle would strike Malvoes square in the chest. The lightning chakra would disperse right before impact as well. And if Malvoes dodged? Doesn't matter, seeing as he's the last one standing.

[Blunt force from the impact of the handle will be 20, seeing as Mitako's full blown throw was stunted by his weakened state.]

As soon as Mantis knocked Mitako off the platform Malvoes knew he'd need to bring his puppet to his side, pulling him in at top speed. He took a note of the damage, without his blades he was rather armless. Seeing that Mitako was retrieving Hysterio's sword he started pulling the strings on Mantis rapidly extending his arms outward and making him spin rapidly a meter away from Malvoes and between Malvoes and Mitako, as Mitako released the sword it made contact with the arm of Mantis mid swing and audible crack resounds as it collides with the arm of the spinning Mantis the force of which was able to neutralize the blade, harmlessly clattering a few feet on the ground, after breaking an arm of Mantis.

Malvoes would take a look around and with obvious shock realize he was the only one left, the only one not injured or passed out, or both. He'd take a deep breath and release his control of Mantis, hoping that the adrenaline flowing through him would start to calm down, letting him fall to the ground. He would walk over and retrieve Hyst's blades and stab them into the ground so they could be retrieved. Silently thanking the glasses shinobi for borrowing his sword, Malvoes then would return to the side of his beloved puppet and turn to where the the Mizukage, Xyxer was sitting and wait for his words.

(70)

Seeing strewn bodies, some unconscious, one dead. Exhaustion had got the best of some of these fighters he knew, it had lasted.. a very long time. Looking around at the blood that littered the arena, however, he was pleased with the outcome. Looking down to see one who remained standing, it was the rather frail puppeteer. He was surprised, really. However, he had been assisting to snuff the life of one of the participants, which pleased Xyxer more than they could know. Clapping his hands once it was clear that the male was the last one standing, with the rest of the crowd soon joining in (With of course, a few of them being awoke by the claps). "Congratulations, Malvoes, it appears you are the winner of the first (and most likely only) Blood Games. You've proven yourself worthy in one aspect or another, and as such, you get a promotion." He paused for a moment, looking down at the rest of the unconscious individuals , "They too, will receive a promotion. All of you are now of Chuunin rank." As he said that, medical shinobi entered the arena to provide aid to those who weren't, well, you know, dead. "Now, for the ritual." Once everyone was awake and what not, he'd make his way towards the Mizukage monument, a small crowd of villagers following behind them due to the unknown ritual that was about to take place. He stood in front of the tower, expecting the rest of them to be there.

Hysterio slowly got up after the Mizukage’s announcement. He had failed. Miserably failed, and to Mitako no less. Not to knock on Mitako or anything because he is a good guy you know but Hysterio had no business losing to him, biju inside of his friend, or no. hysterio had been too cocky, and then hesitated when he had the chance to wipe out Mitako once and for all.

He kept seeing that sequence in his mind, his opponent rolling, and Hysterio hesitating just before he would have thrown his sword, which would have hit Mitako as he got up… it was a good idea but it was like the bloodlust in him had suddenly died, like he was tired of fighting or some thing. Perhaps… he should take a break from being a full time ninja, go on a soul searching mission.

Maybe he should become a doctor like he had originally intended before, when he was in school. Before he had begun this ninja business. It honestly might be less stressful.

He had been practicing it a little earlier, so when he left the arena, after grabbing his two swords that the others had thoughtfully not taken from him permanently, he put on a burst of speed, accelerating instantly so that he could leave faster. His fury burned in his eyes, self directed mostly.

Stopping by the library, he began reading up on the medical stuff, basic anatomy and all that. If he was going to be a doctor later, even as a ninja along side, he would need to be much more knowledgeable in the medical field. He left the library after a fair amount of investment time wise into reading up on the arts of acupuncture, vitality, cloning, body modifications, and such. His head hurt a little, mostly from rage still though. He would take a long time to get over that one, with Mitako.

He had studied a lot of medical stuff in school, and before, more recently, he just had to learn how to use chakra to heal instead. That cat over there that looked like it had been a plaything of Xyxer, looked like it would suffice for certain as a training tool since he could do little to make it worse.

Hsyterio knelt, next to the cat, and began concentrating his chakra. Slowly infusing it into the cat’s system, he worked at literally holding shut the wounds, so that the blood could clot. It was time consuming so he tried changing some of his chakra into replacement skin, blood cells and such. While he was not quite there yet, he WAS able to revitalize the cat’s body such that some of the wounds began to close.

There was the minor issue of a stump where one of its paws had been. He knew little of cat anatomy due to never having had a cat sit on his key board, but he figured he would at least try. Slicing slightly into the cut so that blood flowed again, he tried to direct the cat’s cells to regenerate them selves. A sort of foot slowly formed, from the cat, it was better than nothing but he did not have the skill currently to do more unfortunately.

Leaving the cat for now, but placing a mark seal on it so he could check up on it later, the wanna be doctor trudged home. He had a lot to think about.
(exit)

(2305+575=2880)
Claiming: (hyst is max stats so I can reduce wc by a quarter)
1500 towards the Hoho skill http://naruto-role-play-rpg.forumotion.com/t24931-hoho?highlight=hoho
483 wc towards Medical Specialty
897 wc towards Mystical Palm

Malvoes pulls down his bandanna from his mouth and bows as lord Xyxer congratulates him on his win, and waits till he finishes his decree to stand up. Seeing as how the battle has felt like it has dragged on for ages, it only seemed fair to give everyone chuunin for their efforts. After he finished speaking, Malvoes waved the medical ninja off that tried to help him, seeing as how he didn't need any help being a long distance fighter as a puppet master. Malvoes made his way over to Mantis and look over the damage, most of one arm missing, both blades broken, quite a number done to him. Malvoes unfurls his green striped scroll with his right hand runs chakra through the seal on it, and with a puff of smoke Mantis disappears. "Time for repairs partner, or maybe a redesign or new member of the team." He thinks for a moment looking at the rolled up scroll, with a small sigh he places it back on his back, this battle was very informative on his weaknesses and strengths, it'll be a good lesson for the future. He cracks a smile though, his trademark mischievous smile, because he realized he won, the last one standing was probably the weakest around the arena.

He follows Xyxer to the Mizukage monument after the other shinobi rise for this 'ritual' he mentioned, suspicion creeping through the back of his mind he stands in front of the monument once again waiting for Xyxer, always waiting it seems. He was probably the most unscathed, as that thought crosses his mind he has a moment of grief strike him, his poor Mantis, fortunately though wood and steel can be fixed and replaced, even if the work hit hard on his handiwork it wouldn't be the end of his pride, Mantis fought valiantly.

After coming too, Mitako found himself locking eyes with one of the medical ninja. As intimidating as he may have thought he was, these medics were of a higher caliber, having dealt with death and blood on a common basis. His ears had picked up on Xyxer's voice echoing through out this arena, but he only barely understood the commands he heard to make his way towards the Mizukage monument. So, standing up, with the aid of a medic, Mitako made his way over to Goon, picked up sword, and took his sweet time putting it back in it's sheathe. 

Afterwards, the jinchuriki followed the rest of the chuunin out of the arena, and to the grounds of the Mizukage monument, where Mitako stood alongside his opponents, awaiting further instruction from the Mizukage.

[Will just assume the others who haven't already left follow]

Now, once they group had arrived, Xyxer took a few more steps back and waved one hand slightly towards the cobbles beneath him. There would be an apparent stain there now, one that drained the ground of it's dull, grey colour and invigorated it with the ambitious shinobi of Kirigakure's life. People lived, then they died. Most had no legacy, and no true allegiance to their village other than their family. Once everybody was quiet, he allowed himself to address the shinobi ahead of him, "Congratulations on not perishing during the midst of chaos. Now, you stand beside the people who before wished to brutalise and maim you, and you do not blink twice. You understand that at any time, your enemies can become allies. Perhaps, even, you can.." He paused for a moment, speaking about a word that he did not truly understand, but wanting to appear as if he could feel it, "empathise with them. After all, you all entered that arena with one goal in mind.. Only one succeeded in it." He narrowed his gaze on the faggot puppeteer for a few seconds. "However, you all performed tremendously. Capitalising on the jutsu and movements of your opposition, using them for your own gain. A very worthy skill praised within Kirigakure. Now, you will take turns walking before me, and slicing your palm to allow your indomitable spirit be remembered within the ground of Kirigakure, which will serve as a relic in the future, a token of Kirigakure's power to revitalize the ambitions of our future Shinobi." With that, he gestured his hand for one of them to come and start the event. Of course, he expected them to provide their own weaponry to slice their hands. He wasn't a charity after all.

Malvoes stood in line, standing at the far right and waited for the rest to join him and quiet down, he looked up at the stone and steel monument of the man also standing before him, given this was his first time at the monument he decided to start taking it in. The likeness was well done but the craftsmanship was a bit poor, the stone could have been polished more and steel didn't seem like a good fit, personally I would have gone with silver, I could have done a better job than this. Malvoes stood critiquing the construct until Xyxer started speaking, he stood there taking in his words of wisdom and was a bit surprised when Xyxer looked at Malvoes, he had trouble discerning what was going through his mind, disgust? Distrust? Perhaps nothing at all, but Malvoes cracked his grin at him and received the glance head on. 

As he finished his speech and waited for a moment, Malvoes deemed it worthy for himself to be the first, considering he was the winner after all. So he walked up to Xyxer, standing in front of him a meter away and produced a kunai from one of his weapon pouches, he pressed it against his palm till it started to draw blood. "For Kirigakure no Sato and for my lord Mizukage." He smiles at Xyxer as he puts away the kunai and closes his hand allowing the blood to drip to the ground. He walked back to the end of the line, wrapping his hand up in a bit of cloth. The ritual was a blood sacrifice, an oath if you will, to the village and to Xyxer himself, a show of loyalty and respect, things that are honored in Kiri, things that Malvoes honored as well, he respected his duty to his friends, to his fellow shinobi and to the Mizukage.

Mitako, being a lad of no words, waited in silence for Malvoes to let his blood flow free. Then, in silence, he stepped up and silently drew his blade, while silently gripping the sharpened steel edge. He then silently slid his hand down its length to silently let the blood flow in silence, while he silently stood there. Then, without any words, he silently went stood by Malvoes, while waiting for the rest of the contestants to finish up.

Seeing that the sacrifice was performed, he nodded his head to them with the crowd slowly dispersing. He ushered one of his personal ANBU, in this case Wraith, and whispered faintly into his ear. The male then dashed off from the area, with the shinobi being rewarded their ranks of chuunin officially. Naturally, he turned 360 degrees and walked away.

[Exit]
They get chuunin, woo
except the dead one
and except hyst