Breaking through the Atmosphere

Mission Specs:

His hand trembled as he held the document that held his future.  It was a good tremble, but still enough of a tremble.  It was a signed approval notice from Den.  Arashi was eligible to advance in rank to jounin, and Den had approved him to be the first to undergo what many were calling "The Trial".  It was an advanced form of the one on one chuunin exam fights, but this time, the focus was all on him.  He would have a single opponent, who was to be defeated, but not killed.  It was the first time he would be seriously fighting against someone intentionally. 

Arashi had fought before, even killed, but it was all in defense, and it nearly killed him too.  That was when he was young... and when it was noted that his abilities were much stronger than his body was able to handle.  But that was practically a lifetime ago.  At least two years.  In two years, the young shinobi had grown older and more mature.  He was a central figure in the village, known for his help, and even had someone in the wings who loved him.  Tsuji.... she would be here, in the stands, probably near Den.  Arata would as well... only Akihana would be missing. 

The young man sighed as his mind wandered to Kumo, where Aki had gone to in order to fulfill her own personal mission.  He respected what she asked of him.  He devoted himself to the village, and rarely left it unless it was to train others, or do missions.  He was even hosting training sessions on the Palace grounds.  One on one sessions.  Arashi had gone from just a young, semi-talent orphan, to Hoshi's beloved Prince. 

Before she left, Akihana gave him two gifts, for both earning the right to, and for the eventual victory to become a jounin.  He had never touched them, thinking that they would be best used as gifts after he became a jounin, but the truth of the matter was that she wouldn't have given them to him if she didn't expect him to use them.  Besides, if he were to get promoted, he would probably be needing the items for use, and in that case, he better know how to use them.  That's why in the isolation of the arena itself, he stood, alone. 

The first item he picked up looked like something that reminded him heavily of Kumo.  While most shinobi were equipped with standard kunai, shurikan, and paper bombs, the Village of the Clouds added blades as a general use weapon.  Even his parents, and their relatives, all had blades.. except him.  And now Aki presented him with a special blade.  It had a unique property of a special metal that vibrated when swung, and as Arashi found out, offered a cool show of crackling lightning when he pushed chakra through it.  He attached the sheath to the small of his back, horizontally.  The blade was adjustable, and he kept it only as long as his arm.. it felt the most comfortable that way.  But the fact that he could change the length was another cool property of it.  Swinging the sword around, he got a feel for the weight before slipping it into it's sheath, and then looked at the other item.

The chakra cannon.  A miniaturized version of the one once used in Kumo to defend the earth against the moon.  He remembered reading records of that, since his family had helped with it.  This model though seemed to require direct access to the chakra network, and for most that meant needing to be surgically installed.  It wasn't an idea he was looking forward to, and every time he tried, it wouldn't stay.  But there was one thing he realized he could do with it.  Strapping the device to his forearm, under his palm, he opened his network, bringing it into connection with his network.  Now he was free to use it without worrying about medical sealing.  Arashi flexed his hand, activating the device, and began to feel his chakra flow into the small weapon.  Ready to try it, he aimed at a placed target, and fired.  An orb of swirling, electrifying, dense clouds fired from his arm with a crack of thunder, and impacted the target, destroying it completely.  He had a look of being rather impressed, and then looked down, tucking it into his sleeve. 

He had been given the opportunity to enjoy the arena alone until the day of his test, and Arashi found himself walking around the area, getting a sense of how everything was laid out. There were targets and puppets to fight against, but nothing would equal the power of a full fledged shinobi.  No matter how hard he tried, it was entirely possible that there would be some variable that he couldn't account for... and obviously the test would need to be difficult.  Chunin involved displaying the ability to organize and strategize.  Even the one on one combat was more geared towards quick thinking and control over chakra.  But Jounin... jounin was about personal growth... a rite to adulthood in some ways.  Jounin found themselves working alone or in special ops groups, their missions were almost always dangerous, and they were usually in line for the council.... something his family had been on for generations.  In times of war, they were the first strike, and the calvary.  The best of the village.  No one became ANBU without being jounin first.

Arashi bent down once more to open a small bag, and pulled out a couple of kunai with paper tags tied to them.  He quickly checked to make sure that they were the right seal, and then sighted his targets.  Three large puppets.  With the pinpoint expertise of a sniper, Arashi tossed all three kunai at their respective targets, entering each one through their mouths and impacting the back wall of their heads.  The tags glowed in each and then faded, as the humanoid puppets came to life.  All three suddenly had their kunai in their hand, and Arashi stood poised in the middle, his hand on the handle of his sword.

"Kenjutsu... like lightning, strike swift and sharp..." he said, as the three puppets ran at him, rattling as chakra from the released seals flow through the joints.  He waited for the first swing and then leaped back to avoid the first attack, kicking off the ground to avoid the second, and then pulling out his blade to deflect the third once he landed on his feet.  Tai and Ken, physical and use of weapons.. that was his weakest point, and that is what he would have to strengthen before his test match.  He didn't even know who it would be that he would fight. 

Arashi kept the sword out in a defensive posture, moving like the air in remembrance of when he was taught how to use Wind nature.  A graceful display of movements, swaying around like the water nature he had to find the common balance and force, and deflecting when the strikes reached him.  He dropped low to the ground and rolled away as a kunai came down on him, impacting the ground.  He flipped himself back up, deflecting and then kicking one of the puppets, and swung his sword down at the arm of the 3rd, cleanly slicing it off.  The power of the blade impressed him.  The humanoid puppet grabbed the fallen kunai and attacked again, but with a small period of being one on one, Arashi took advantage and stabbed it through the chest, stopping it in his tracks, before pulling the sword out and cleanly slicing the head.  The puppet clattered on the ground as the seal broke, leaving it a broken mess, and the other two suddenly stood up straight.  Stage 2.

The previously bulky movements were replaced with more realistic and fluid motions, as the two puppets went from moving dumb targets to taijutsu shinobi replicas.  One grabbed the fallen kunai before Arashi could react, and then the second started its assault with a handful of kicks and slashes.  Arashi was put back on the defensive, trying his best to keep up with the sudden more animated training puppet.  A flip here, and dodge there, it was much more difficult than before, but that was the entire purpose.  Add to that the first puppet now joining the fight, and Arashi was quickly being overwhelmed.  Before he saw it, he mistepped, causing himself to get knocked back and then stabbed with a kunai.

The body vanished in a puff of clouds, and Arashi leaped down on one of them, trying to go for a shot at the neck.  The other quickly took advantage of this, and swung out at Arashi, forcing him into another substitution jutsu as he turned into a cloud and appeared behind the first.  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bunch of shurikan, kicking the puppet in the back and then sending a wave of the small stars at both.  The second was able to block and dodge, but the first took an impact, staggering but still very functional.  Arashi charged in, pushing chakra into his blade as he targeted the wounded on, sliding on the ground at the last minute and then flash stepping over it, bringing his sword down through the neck into the torso  The puppet stumbled again, but then clattered to the ground as well, leaving Arashi to land breathing, watching the last one.

This time, the puppet did nothing more than bring its hand up in the jutsu sign.  The chakra giving it life grew, giving a outline similar to the breaking of an internal chakra gate, and it immediately flash-stepped to Arashi.  Stage 3 had commenced.

The ninja deflected the attack and kicked back.  This is where he was always getting overwhelmed and defeated.  But with his test coming up soon, he had to get stronger.  Arashi brought his hands up, and activated another jutsu.  Four identical cloud clones formed from the air around him and his line of small canteens on his belt.  Each one was equipped with identical gear, though he had no illusion that the swords shown would be anything like his did.  The five ninja kicked off, this time putting the puppet on the defensive as it expertly deflected the oncoming attacks.  Arashi kept up the barrage as long as he could, and slowly one by one his clones were overpowered and defeated. 

Finally it was just Arashi and the puppet, and it was no where near defeated.  Suddenly it started flashing as it moved with great speed, causing Arashi to defend himself.  A cut on his arm told him that he was getting tired, and slowing down.  He almost lost his leg when he saw an attack come at it, and only barely activated his cloud body to save himself from harm.  Arashi started to match the movements of the puppet, until he finally found a pattern.  Wait... he hadn't seen a pattern before... was this what he was missing?

Arashi stopped for a moment, and swung his arm around, lifting his palm and firing the chakra cannon.  A puff of smoke from the sudden explosion and the puppet fell on the ground, having tumbled. Arashi clenched the sword tighter and took advantage of the weakness, dashing forward and bringing the blade to the base of the head, and dodged the counter by flash-stepping behind it, grabbing the sword and continuing the pull, slicing off the head.  Arashi's speed caused him to slide on the ground in a spin, and finally he stopped, breathing hard as the puppet clattered.  The practice was finally over.  Arashi dropped to his knee, giving a small prayer of thanks to his family watching over him, and then sheathed his sword.  He was just about as ready as he would ever be.....

*****************

The day of his exam was finally here, and Arashi was off to the side in the arena.  Everyone was there... almost everyone.  Aki hadn't come back yet, but he partly expected it.  He stretched himself out while he waited, and as the purpose and rules were explained.  Finally, he heard his name, and walked out to his side of the arena.  He cracked his eyes, sighting down his opponent.  Finally ready to do this, he brought his hand up in the sign of dueling, waiting for the signal to start.

This was it.

(WC: 2237)

Ser Meryn Trent walked out of the palace with a heavy heart. Being the Captain of the Queensguard had never been an easy burden but it was one he was forced to bear. Men of his position were never allowed emotions let alone the ability to express them and it hadn't mattered much to Ser Meryn until now. Joining the Queensguard as a boy of twelve, he had never found the need for friends - his brothers of the guard being enough - or companionship - his sword was his wife and child. And now, as the new Hoshigakurw lay in shambles, all Ser Meryn wanted was to crawl into one of the many insidious locals and drawn his sorrows away in drink and then the arms of an escort who would keep quiet about it. In a few short years, Ser Meryn had watched the city go from a sparkling jewel of the Gods to...

"Oi, don't be puttin' no cat's tails in that stew," a bare footed ruffian cried out somewhere near him, forcing the knight to pretend he hadn't heard the near slur. He was on his way to the arena and today, damn protocol, he was taking the scenic route. The decade of rogues coming to pillage his country, Ser Meryn had dealt with by holding true to his ideals and his Queen. And now there was a significant lack of both. For his ideals had always revolved around protecting the Queen of Hoshigakure but what does one do when they lose their purpose? He could no more protect Queen Shiera then pluck the stars from the sky and Queen Akihana... He could only pray to the Gods that she was safe wherever she was. The city would be in chaos if they knew she too was gone.

Princess Tehniyat remained the highest royal authority in charge, and Ser Meryn found he couldn't devote himself to her as he could have to to the other two. Tehniyat was not really his. She had arrived into Hoshi as a sqealing, annoying, ill smelling bundle at the palace gates the same time he had. Despite her royal blood, Ser Meryn had always seen her as more of a ward of the palace then one of its heirs. Why even that half blood princess Kanzaki had more right to the throne than Princess Tehniyat Bukhari and were it his job to judge the validity of royal claims, he would have ruled in favor of the young Senju princess immediately.

Sadly his job was no to judge, only to obey. And here he was, obeying his orders. Young Arashi was to fight him today, a fight Ser Meryn neither wanted nor needed but here he was. The Boy was rising swiftly in the ranks of ninja and civilian alike, already becoming a trusted adviser to the council in his mother's absence, and as with all ninja, he waned more. The knight supposed this was a good thing, Prince Arashi would only use his powers to defend Hoshi, unlike that brother of his.

Were it not for the fact that Ser Meryn would never think ill of the royal family, there were  a few choice thoughts he would have loved to direct towards Prince Arata.

Entering the stadium, Ser Meryn made his way to the center where young Prince Arashi would join him as soon as he was called upon. Flashy ninja battles were not something the knight held favor with but if the crowd wanted a show, he supposed he could oblige. After all, a ninja hadn't gone up against a Queensguard in Hoshigakure history yet.

So if anything else, Ser Meryn would make history today.

(This is just a flavour post, I'll make a stat page next round <3)

The arena was surprisingly full.  Whether it was because of the novelty for Hoshi, or the fact that the combatant was Arashi, it was hard to tell, but as the announcer called his name, the young weather ninja walked out to cheers and a roar of support.  It was... comforting, and it was something that the young man felt very welcomed by.  The skies were partly, almost mostly clouding, and Arashi felt like his entire family had gathered above them to watch the future of their clan rise through the ranks. 

The announcer was also excited, as evident by his enthusiasm.  Arashi stood motionless as the crowd's volume decreased, and the announcer began to speak.

"Once again, welcome to the first Jounin promotional exam of the Village Hidden in the Stars.  For shinobi, this test is the final resolve of their training and growth, taking them from a child to an adult.  A jounin rank is very important for them, as it changes their standing not only in the village, but also the greater ninja world.  A jounin is both respected and feared by other villages, and is a model for others to follow by.  And today, this match is historic not just for our first ninja, but also for his opponent."

"Since the days after the rain of fire and ash, Hoshi has always been a village of solitude.  We kept ourselves and our pristine lands separate from the politics of the region, and the land of Haven became just that, a haven.  But as the world picked itself up, dangers from rogues and privateers threatened that idea of paradise, and Hoshi required protection.  We got that protection for many, many years from the Queensguard, the elite warriors of the capital city.  These brave men and women dedicated their lives to the protection of the village, and became a formidable force against the shinobi rogues who assaulted our lands.  While hesitant, the Guards have formed an alliance with the Shinobi of Hoshi, and have even been able to go sword to sword with them.  On consideration of the Hogokage, and the records and strengths of the guards, the opponent for today has been ranked as S-level.  The highest for any ninja.  In a final showdown between the Queensguard and the Shinobi, fighting Arashi Tekiatsu today is non other than the Captain of the Guard, Ser Meryn Trent!"

More cheers as the knight entered, and Arashi was downright confused.  S-ranked?  Able to go against the strongest of shinobi?  He remembered Trent fondly, he was instrumental in relations between the Shinobi and the Guards, but he also knew that the Captain was not a fan of fights, especially against the ninja of Hoshi.  But the fact that the Captain agreed made the young ninja smile.

"Ser Trent." Arashi said, bowing his head in respect.  He kept up the sign for dueling, despite the fact that the Captain probably wouldn't respond to it, or even know what it meant.

"Alright, the rules for this match are simple.  The young shinobi is proving to us that he is prepared to handle threats, and that he is capable performing on his own accord.  He must defeat his opponent.  And not to worry, this no-holds fight is not life and death.  However, if the shinobi does not treat it as such, he will not succeed.  The fight will be called when one of them is incapacitated, or if the shinobi forfeits.  On confirmation from the Captain, there are no restrictions on this fight.  The judge will now begin the match."

One of Den's trusted friends arrived on the field as proctor, and to ensure that there is no death, and no cheating.  He looked down at both opponents, and brought up his own dueling sign, as well as his arm.  He gave one last look before swinging his arm down.

"Begin!"

Current Stats:

(W/C: 664)

Ser Meryn's Stats:

The knight evaluated the field, experienced gaze over smooth terrain. the boy was talented but he was green, or so Ser Meryn was sure. That being said, the knight wondered how much of a difference the ninja magic would make. Though if it came to that, the Queensgaurd had some magic up his own sleeve too.

Deciding to show imitative before the boy could react, the older male would make his way straight to Arashi, legs  out in front in an attempt to land a hit on the boy's person, not to seriously injure but to give off a warning shot. This was serious. Moving at the speed of fifty, Ser Meryn would aim at the young prince's knee, attempting to make the boy fall before he even had a chance to attack. Should the hit connect, the knight would tower over his fallen prince, a stern look on his face.

He had expected better from the son of Her Grace, Akihana. And if the boy disappointed today, he deserved to lose.

Should the boy to do something to avoid the hit, Ser Meryn would stop the running kick mid momentum, his experience giving him the insight to reevaluate and form another strategy mid battle.

Arashi was smart.. at least, that's what he told himself.  Too often he's seen younger ninja rush into a mission, or even a fight, without first making sure that their field of awareness was complete.  Arashi wasn't going to make that mistake.  He had a disadvantage... which was the point of the test.  He was facing the strongest of opponents, one who made the missingnin he fought seem like child's play. 

Back then, Arashi was just like the younger genin... he rushed in.  He never gave time for assessment, in fact his only thought was on the Princess.  Had he actually given consideration to the fact that there was another individual there, waiting, he might have been able to save her.  He still blamed himself for her death; and it was the face of the young girl who haunted his own when he had nightmares.  He couldn't let her down.

The boy gave a single glance to the VIP stands, where Tsuji sat, a bit nervous.  He couldn't let her down... or the Hogokage near her... or the village.

Or his opponent. 

Speaking of, the Captain launched himself at a speed Arashi wasn't expecting.  He didn't need to concern himself with the area, he was experienced enough that he already saw all threats, and right now all the threats were contained in Arashi.  The boy watched him get closer, debating for a brief moment on how to react.  He needed to move quickly, but at the same time, he needed positioning. 

Bringing the Tiger up, Arashi did a single jutsu... his altered water clone forming to the side of him.. and then another to flash step, as the leg impacted the him in front of the knight.  The crowd sounded stunned as Arashi seemed to fall backwards to the ground, dragged to a stop with the Captain standing over him.  He gave a small smile before he turned white... all of him, as the body turned into a solid cloud and then burst as the clone was destroyed.  The second body had dashed behind the knight, as Arashi went for a simple roundhouse kick with his speed of 40.  Not as fast as the knight.

(20 for Water Clone, 10 for Body Flicker: 737 left)

(4218/10000)

The clone, Ser Meryn hadn't estimated. But in a way, he was glad the boy prince had used his ninja magic so early in the game. The Queensguard was an ancient organization that had protected the Queens of Haven since the dawn of time. Their relationship with the king consorts and any son's Her Grace may bear was a product of simply duty. Duty that need not be performed in the best of spirits. While any Queensguard was obligated to give his life for the blood of his queen, more often than not they would dally should her King be one they deemed unworthy in their own opinions. Queens demanded loyalty by birthright, kings and princes had to earn it from the Queensgaurd and Prince Arashi had yet to earn Ser Meryn's.

Today, the boy had a chance to earn that loyalty, by defeating Ser Meryn in combat like a man. It would be hard to guard a prince who had defeated him once but impossible to guard one whom he himself had defeated on the battle field. Ser Meryn was old fashioned, he believed in respect and he wanted to respect Prince Arashi, if not for the boy's sake than his mother's. If Arashi knew what was at stake, the boy would have probably scripted his advances better but that was the point. Everyone watched a prince whether he liked it or not and today, the young ninja was in the eyes of the world.

Today he would either make his mark or disgrace himself among the crowds watching.

The old knight had spent his entire life in combat, perhaps second only to the old captain, so when his foot collided with the clone, he knew the trickery for what it was. Ser Meryn had no need to wait for the clouds that would break the illusion, not breaking momentum but using his alleviated foot to cut clean through the disappearing clone, the white clad male pivoted on his heel, bringing his leg back at his full speed so when the real prince Arashi finally attempted to biock him from behind, it was no longer the behind, Ser Meryn having successfully turned to face the attack head on.

Face and counter.

Arashi's incoming kick was well within the knight's reaction time, giving him plenty of opportunity to raise his hands, curling his fingers close and swinging them at the extended leg of the young prince closing in. Two sharp strikes would fall on the boy's incoming foot with the speed of 160 and the strength of 140, most likely cracking the boy's shin bone under his unarmored foot. Were the knight a man of lesser honor, he would have angled his fingers just so that the application of the hit would also result in a sharpness effect but the day was still young.

Should the hit connect, the leg the prince was using would be incapacitated, leaving him in pain writhing on the stadium ground.

http://naruto-role-play-rpg.forumotion.com/t29810-iron-chop-hiyu-clan#224597  -- 80 AP used

The running start was the only saving factor.  It was almost an insult to think that the knight would fall for such an obvious attack, and for Arashi, that realization came just slightly too late.  For a brief moment, he thought that was it, he was done for.  With one move the knight would be able to ensure that he would be unable to battle.  The disappointment he could already feel from the crowd, from Tsuji, from Ser Meryn....

But his body wasn't ready to end it just now. 

By instinct, Arashi's eyes crackled with lightning as his blood took over, and his leg became blurry as it dispersed around the incoming fist and around the knight's body.  He felt pain as the arms moved through him, but luckily it avoided the damage to him.

Arashi flashed stepped away from him, moving a safe distance.  He was breathing hard; not because he was exhausted, but because he was sure that he wouldn't make it.  As he kept his eyes on the knight, his hand dropped to his leg, making sure it was all there.  Biting his lower lip, he started mentally going over his early lessons from the Academy.

Three kinds of combat.  Short Range, Mid Range, and Back Range... Ser Meryn is short range, but not me.  I'm mid range.  Mid to Back.  I stand no chance against an S ranked short range....

Arashi gave a look of understanding, and then brought his hands together, summoning another two cloud clones.  Each one of those pulled out their swords and charged at the Knight with a speed of 40 and sharpness of 14... they were laughable at best.

Meanwhile, Arashi's plan involved them as distractions, as he then quickly went through the signs to summon his cloud chakra again, yelling out "Kanreizensen no Jutsu!" before creating and sending a blast of cold, wet air to the knight to slow him.  He needed to keep distance, and find a way around Ser Meryn's defenses.

(Jutsus used: Cloud Body 3rd Mastery, Flash Step, Water Clone (with Cloud Fusion), Cold Front)
(AP used: 10, 10, 20, 35 = 75; 662 remaining)

(W/C: 360)

The old knight's fists struck air as the extended appendage dispersed into a flurry of clouds, making Ser Meryn swear. Raising his fists again to strike the final blow, the man noticed the boy prince was no longer there, using his ninja magic to flee from the battle like a dishonorable scumbag. As the boy made more images of himself appear to lunge at the knight, Ser Meryn repeated the earlier motion, using the iron chop to dispel both the pathetic copies coming at him. Having safely sent them back to the hell they came from, the Queensguard took a moment to openly spit on the ground beside him, letting Prince Arashi knew exactly what he thought of fights won by ninja magic.

The boy was green, he was not ready for this as made evident by him screaming out his attacks ahead of time. By the time the prince had finished uttering the words, Ser Meryn had already activated his semi ventilate shield at his reaction time, a solid mass of protective cells that would serve him better than his Armour ever did. the Armour was more for tradition and show, this was the Captain's secret to durability.

Now the prince could come at him with anything and the shield would protect the knight. Protect but not necessary fight for. If Arashi maintained a distance, then Ser Meryn would just have to close that gap. The blast of air made no difference to Ser Meryn who barely even felt it let alone was damaged by it. Stepping ahead through the wind, the knight mde his way towards Arashi.

"Ninja magic doesn't win fair battles, sweet prince," the Queensguard spoke up, his powerful mocking voice echoing across the stadium and bouncing off the walls and pillars as the crowd felt silent. "Fight like man and I might spare you. Die like a ninja and I will spit on your grave. Fight like a man if you are your mother's son, boy."

With the challenge issued openly, Ser Meryn would wait for Arashi's response, now only five meters away from the young man.

40 AP -- http://naruto-role-play-rpg.forumotion.com/t30998-semi-ultimate-shield-hiyu-clan#234113,

Current health 60 + 65 (from jutsu). Requires an attack of 185 to break.

Total AP used until now = 120

It was certainly clear... very clear... that the Captain of the Guard found no true understanding of the Jounin test.  Either that, or he elected for his own version of a test, one that Arashi was just not prepared for.  He didn't want the young man to prove his worth as a ninja of Hoshi, he wanted him to prove his worth as a protector of Hoshi, one who could stand side by side with the Queensguard.  As the man deflected his jutsu, it became evident that the Captain of the Guard wasn't as kind-hearted a man that he thought he was.

Ninja magic.  That's what he said, that's what he referred to.  Arashi stopped for a moment, having released his jutsu, staring at the man before him with shocked, and a bit of sadness in his eyes.  He was starting to feel like this man he looked up to for strength and justice... actually was one of those most prejudice against the shinobi lifestyle.

"You... you don't trust us.  This whole time... I'm nothing but a manifestation of what you hate...." he said, stepping back a bit.  Ten meters now.

"I'm not like them, Ser Meryn.  I'm not like HIM!" he shouted, finally pulling out his own sword.  Flashes of the evil that he witnessed in Kumo filled his mind, even if Ser Meryn might not know who exactly he was talking about.  Arashi brought the sword up in a defensive position, gitting his teeth.

That monster.. that beast... that inhumane horror that so thoroughly and blatantly destroyed his village, his friends, his home... and his family.  The monster that filled his nightmares and caused many nights of crying with Akihana, weeping over the almost complete destruction of his clan and bloodline.  The thing that did what the Sky nation, or mother nature herself couldn't do.  Arashi's heart began to beat a bit faster.  Aki was there... over where it all began, in the vicinity of that nightmare incarnate.  And Arashi was here, far from here, not even sure if she was alright.

But it wasn't just Youka in his mind, either.  The rogue ninjas he never identified, that he never cared to find out who they were.  The murderers of the last Princess of Hoshi.  The evil and hate in their eyes as they took the life of a young girl, and the malicious looks they gave Arashi when he ended up facing off against the two of them.  The total disregard to age or skill as Arashi, a young genin, faced off against high ranked missing-nin and impossible odds.  It was a fluke, a lucky break, that he was able to freeze the water prison he was in, and kill them with the lightning from his storms. 

Ser Meryn saw those two, the beast of Kumo, and the murderers of Hoshi's royal blood, in Arashi.  He had a distaste, a disgust for the young shinobi, that was well hidden, and seemed to seep out in this fight.  Arashi closed his eyes, as a couple of tears fell, and then shot them open, a different look towards his opponent.

"You said that a true knight is one who fights will all his being.  Uses his skills for the betterment of his comrades and village.  That ninja magic is a part of who I am.  I am no less a knight than any one of your men.  Ninja magic won't win this battle.  I will." he said as his eyes sparked yet again, only this time his whole body seemed to blur slightly.  His cells were ready to move out of the way to avoid hits.  He couldn't get close, but he could still fight.

Arashi quickly brought his hands up, throwing together 6 signs and activating the Rain Tiger jutsu.  Over the arena, dark clouds formed and thundered, as rain began to fall, quickly soaking the arena floor.  Arashi's awareness increased as he could feel and see all around him, thanks to the raindrops falling.  Twirling his sword into a position to attack, and making sure it was at 40 cm, Arashi rushed to the knight at his full speed of 90, attempting to cover the current 15 meters distance between the two, the Vibroblade's unique metal vibrating with an increased sharpness, reaching 180 to add to the 35 strength he was launching at the Captain.  If the knight swung at him, Arashi was ready with a water substitution, going for the water on a 90 degree turn instead of going behind him.  Either way, he would continue moving after his attack, making sure that he didn't remain close to his opponent, skidding to a halt back at 15 meters from the knight.  His goal was merely to strike at the knight.. to prove that he was perfectly capable of swordplay, but that he was deadly serious about using all of who he was for his village.

(Jutsu used: Rain Tiger At Will)
(AP: 50 added with Kumonikutai, 40 + 5 upkeep + possible 10, 687/677 remaining)

W/C: 839

7063/10000

Ser Meryn could see the hurt in the boy's face. It was a necessary evil. When he had joined the Queensguard as a young lad of twelve, the reigning captain has believed in at least beating one boy to near death every week in front of the others to set a good example. More often than not it had been Ser Meryn as the then boy had an uncanny ability to get back up time and time again. As a young man, he hadn't understood the concept of pain making someone stronger. Now he understood.

And he had understood a lot more under the weak and pathetic leadership of former Captain Blount. It was under the old bastard's watch that Hoshi had been infiltrated by those rogue ninja for ten years, because he didn't raise his boys tough enough, didn't use them as the expendable weapons they were supposed to be. He lost the country its brightest hope for the future, the Princess Lissandra and then he wanted to announce to the country with bells tolling that Queen Shiera was dead. it had felt good cutting his throat, finally letting out his frustrations. Ser Meryn might not understand ninja but he appreciated strength. He had seen strength in Denkiteki and Queen Akihana, strength born from pain and more pain. He had yet to see it in this boy.

And if he had to break the prince to make him strong, then he would do it or die trying.

"You think you're a true knight, prince," the Captain growled as rain began to pelt the arena. What was the boy's plan, to make him run for cover? "Then come on over here and prove it. You come over here, not your false images. Fighting with these is more dishonorable then fighting with women," the end of the sentence was spat out with more venom then before, goading Arashi into a false move. When the boy finally unsheathed a sword, Ser Meryn finally let out a satisfied smile.

Swordplay, now they were on his territory, man on man, steel against steel.

Or rather, steel against his bare arm. This blade was not one Ser Meryn was familiar with, but at his level, all blades were the same. Instead of moving to dodge the incoming weapon wielded by the prince, Ser Meryn simply took a defensive stance, his posture sideways and ready to block. The sword would arc towards him, glinting dangerously, only to meet the knight's sturdy shoulder... and get its sharpness reduce drastically (by tthe power of 70), leaving it about as dull as a butter knife against the old knight's toughened layer of skin.

Not giving Arashi time to react, Ser Meryn would immediately swing around, unfazed by the sword and proceed to launch a flurry of five punches in quick succession at the prince, aiming for his shoulders, his stomach and his knee caps. the punches would occur at Ser Meryn's full speed and strength and unless Arashi avoided them somehow, would spell the doom of the young prince.

Justsu used:

http://naruto-role-play-rpg.forumotion.com/t30708-taijutsu-style-block?highlight=Block -- 50 AP
http://naruto-role-play-rpg.forumotion.com/t25163-evening-elephant -- 55 AP

Maintaining semi ultimate shield -- 20 AP

Total AP calculation: 700 - 50 (iron chop) - 40 (semi ultimate shield) - 20 (upkeep) -50 (block) - 55 (evening elephant if it goes through) = 485 AP remaining