Jounin Level Training (P, Komori)

A spar would be fun. Max hadn't gotten much of a chance to really push himself like sparring could. He learned a lot through study, but now it was time to put that book knowledge to practical use. Max would nod, though Komori may not have seen such. Max would smile, saying aloud "Yes, that sounds like it could be some real training. Facing off against a Jounin should help prepare me to become one."

Max would follow Komori to the training grounds, the areas layout clear. On either side there was forest, while directly in front of the two was a railing overlooking the cliff side. While a fall would be dangerous, they were standing far enough away (20 meters from Komori, who was in the lead) that they shouldn't have to worry too much. Max would stand roughly 5 meters away from Komori as they stopped and the Jounin asked his question. 

"I came to train with the best. Don't disappoint." Max would say with a smile as he formed Rat -> Dog hand seals to pull his puppet pals from storage. 

Max would climb into Dread Knight, close the back and don the visor and headphones. The puppet was rather large, and its skin a sickly white contrasting sharply with its black, lifeless eyes. It was covered in a dark robe hiding most of its body besides its face, lower arms and lower legs. 

The puppet would spring to life, Max connecting the needed chakra strings to it and bringing life to it, his puppet Stein, and his skeletal puppet. He would have four other odd, corpse-like puppets that remained lifeless on the ground. 

"I am ready when you are," Max would say using Ventriloquism.

AP costs: 1057-20 (Storage Displacement-retrieval) -30 (Stein's Stench of Death-mandatory upon activating him)-5(Ventriloquism)= 1002 AP left.

Max would take it all in, everything the Jounin was doing. It would look as though Komori was doing nothing at all, but water would form at his feet and begin to turn to bubbles and float slowly into the air. There was no knowing just how powerful these little bubbles of water were, so Max would do his best not to be struck by them. Max would also note that this technique didn’t seem to require any hand seals. It was impressive, as it shows that Max wasn’t dealing with any old slouch. No, this was the champion of Kumo, and one to not be taken lightly.
 
Max could move in to strike at the Hozuki, though this was as much an experiment for the boy as it was a spar. He simply needed to see what all Komori was capable of, as he wasn’t able to get too much from the fight in the arena that he watched. The fifteen bubbles, now ready, were then shot out towards the puppets, their movement well within what Max could comprehend and defend against. The bubbles were about a meter wide, and each moved and fired at the puppets simultaneously. If they were to all actually hit the puppets they were aimed for, they (each set of five) would have varying lines of trajectory that all converged on the position the puppets were currently standing in.
 
The skeleton would shift two meters to the right (Speed 70), placing him now five meters away from Dread Knight on roughly its right hand side. Stein would shift two meters to the left (speed 70), placing him five meters away on what would roughly be considered the left hand side. The puppets would continue to move towards the aquatic shinobi (speed 100) closing the five meter gap and moving on to the offensive. The skeleton (if he reaches Komori without needing to change course due to some sort of attempt to counter) now only 0.5 meters away would rake at the chest of the Jounin using its boney fingertips, likely drawing blood if it connects (Speed: 100, Sharpness: 46). It would make this slash with its right hand, moving in the motion of Komori’s right pectoral muscle to his left hand lower ribs. Stein would now also be in position on the opposite side (since they moved the same distance at the same speed) and ready itself to attack Komori depending on how he reacts to the Skeleton.
 
Dread Knight (and Max inside) would have also shifted out of the way of the bubbles. Shifting (Speed: 100) five meters to the right, placing it on the same side as the skeleton puppet, but in the position it was in after dodging the orbs. It could press forward as well, but the Knight would sit back and watch, waiting to make its move.
 
This is all happening roughly at the same time (the shifts in position that is). Should the state of the battlefield change, these actions could change as well. 

AP: 1002 - 5 (Stench of Death upkeep) = 997

As expected the simple melee attack of the puppet would slide right through the Hozuki with ease, dealing what looked like no damage to the Jounins chest. Good. The genetic composition of this specimen was… so strange. Was he simply made of water that looked like it was in the form of a human, or was he able to rapidly convert his cells into water at a near instantaneous rate? These were the questions that rang in the head of young Max as he assessed the situation. Nevertheless, he had read about the clan and their abilities and he wanted to see how well their defenses held up.
 
Komori would then say something (based on seeing his mouth move) but Max didn’t likely hear it because of being inside of Dread Knight and wearing headphones. Raising his hand up, he generated some sort of technique as chakra began forming. Then a lightning bolt would seem to begin crash down towards Komori, likely trying to use himself as a conduit (you know, because people typically don’t electrocute themselves). Max figured that his puppet was going to take the brunt of whatever lightning attack had been coming at it, but Max didn’t really care too much. He wasn’t happy about it, but pawns sometimes need to be sacrificed in order to claim victory. The skeleton would try and grab Komori’s arm where he had a hold of the puppet (Speed 120 Strength 80). Max had figured the boney hand would likely grab hold of a fist full of water, but it had to try something and this would provide valuable information for the boy.
 
He would allow the puppet to be electrocuted with the attack by not moving or shifting out of the way. Though would the lighting impact the Hozuki’s ability to liquefy? Max would soon find out when the bolt finally manages to actually strike the Hozuki and then the skeleton. The bolt would likely have to pass through where the puppet was going to grab at (causing the first non-Komori thing it struck to be the hand in the arm water), and if the Hozuki removed his arm from the puppet the lighting jutsu would likely ground out because it had nowhere to go.
 
At the same time that Komori’s calling lightning was happening Max would activate his puppetry technique, Puppetry Performance: Skillful Achievement with a Human Body. The threads would quickly (Speed 75 Power 75) traverse the 5 meter distance directly to him as the bolt sluggishly crashed to the Jounin, the threads attempting to latch on to him. Because of Max’s control over his chakra and simply his ability to suppress it the threads were invisible, and should not cause much alarm to the Hozuki who likely had no way of detecting them coming at him. Considering the distances involved in calling a lightning bolt from the sky, Max should have little difficulty clearing the distance while Komori attempts to shock the puppet that seemingly has no way of harming him.

AP: 997-5 (Stench of Death mandatory upkeep)- 40 (Skillful Achievement) = 952

The lighting crashes down to Komori and into the puppet, zapping it thoroughly and causing black char marks to streak across the skeleton. The puppet, now fried, would fall over defeated. Of course, this sacrifice allowed Max to attach his strings to the Hozuki and that was what he was going for. 
 
The large Dread Knight puppet would step forward as Stein would fall back 5 meters and kneel, the puppet seeming to show respect to its puppet master. The huge undead Dread Knight would now be 2 meters away from the Aquatic Jounin.
 
 
Komori would find himself having difficulty moving (since he already somehow noticed the strings made clear by his ‘choice words’ regarding being a puppet) as Max applies his control to the body of the Hozuki. Testing the limits of his control, he would make the Jounin extend his arm to the side, and then balance on one leg before making him go back to standing there.
 
The Hozuki would hear Max’s voice over the telepathy seal, “You look pale and sick, likely because of Steins toxins. I can look over you and make sure that it isn’t life threatening, but not in a battle. Do you yield so that I can check up on you?” Typically Max would feel confident that while their body was under his control he was safe from harm, but this was a Jounin level opponent and not one to be underestimated. He WAS the undefeated champion after all.
 
Max would allow his friend to answer, though he would remain alert. Any signs that Komori was attacking or trying to escape would be met with Max’s continued assault. 


952 - 5 (Steins forced upkeep) - 20 AP (Upkeep on Skillful Achievement) = 927 AP

Max would listen and wait, wondering if he had actually just managed to surprise the Jounin champion in their bout. Judging from the look on Komori’s eyes, he was not a happy person while his body was Max’s puppet. “He doesn’t look very happy at all. I wonder, are all of my puppets this unhappy on the inside, their whole existence being controlled by another?


Napa, did you dislike your time as a puppet?” Max would ask telepathically to his dearest friend, hoping to shed some light on such a serious question.  
 
“I have always been more than a simple puppet, boy. Is it you that lead my actions, or the reverse to be true?” Napa would ask before audibly cackling in the head of Max.

“You see everyone is controlled by someone or something else, in one way or another. Think for example those shinobi that loyally serve under Maku and Mortarion, like Senshi had. Are they not puppets to the kage’s will, blindly obeying the orders from above? If they were simply used by their superior, their actions are not their fault. They could do horrible things, and shrug off the guilt simply because they were following the orders of another.”


Napa had no real body, but Max was almost able to feel the heat of his breath on his ear and his voice came across as but a whisper, “Everybody deep down seeks someone to take control and lead them, easing their burdens of choice and decision. It is easier being the puppet than the puppeteer…”
 
The words of Napa were haunting, sending a chill down the spine of the young Chuunin. Max would snap back into reality as he heard the voice of Komori saying that it was a draw. Max wasn’t entirely sure how, but he was far more concerned with making sure that Komori was okay than figuring out where such a idea was coming from.
 
Max would remove his strings from his puppets (including Komori), Stein slumping over lifeless and Dread Knight sinking to its knees. The hatch on the back would open up and Max would remove the visor and headphones before hopping out and quickly moving to check on his pale friend.
 
Max would check the Hozuki’s pulse and breathing, using a cloth to wipe away any sweat that may be building up on the face of Komori because of the toxins. “I don’t think that it is life threatening, but you may want to relax for a bit. I’ve started to read up on this technique that should speed up your body’s natural healing, which hopefully should help remedy your condition.” Max wasn’t entirely sure, since he wasn’t actually a licensed medical expert by any stretch of the imagination. He simply read a lot regarding the subject and practiced using the techniques.
 
Max would form a Modified Ox followed by a Tiger hand seal. This was his first time he had to create the technique for any real use, and so he would channel the medical chakra from his hand into the Jounin. Hopefully it would help.


OoC: Since the fighting is over, no need to continue keeping track of AP (though if needed I will add it)

TWC: 3414