The old life shall cease [IO/NK] {Stein}

Seeing as the Friend of his activated the red eyes deep within, Stein would respond in Kind, This was the sort of thing that made them almost like rivals, each had similar skill sets, what set them apart. their usage of those skill sets. The question now in Stein's Mind is not only how far has Taichi come, but how much has he himself grown? Has it been enough to stay ahead of Taichi? Did he pull ahead? This was why they were going to spar. Stein would chuckle as he watched his friend across the thirty meter span. Keeping his eyes attuned for the slightest movement, each seemed to have the idea that the other should inevitably go first. But Stein wanted to be able to catch him off guard, not start off with something as only a suprise. However if it grew obvious to Stein that neither would go before the other, Stein would start things off.

If Stein has to start things off, he would quickly weave a simple five handseals as he ducks to the ground and places his hand upon said ground. Upon his hand touching the ground, Immediately a technique not unlike Taichi's very own Okami he used in their first fight, Spikes shot out from the ground and towards Taichi, three of them, while another twelve all set up infront of Stein like a wall, ready to launch themselves. This was the last offensive move used in their spar that day, Stein thought a version of it fitting to start with. The power and speed at which the technique launched 100 with equal Health and Sharpness. Stein figured Taichi could handle this, but he would not aim for anything vital. Stein Stayed Crouched low under his Rock Pillar Spears.

As Taichi had expected, Stein was quick to make the first move. Taichi saw with his enhanced vision five handseals being performed, the same hand seals for a move he knew himself. Taichi sprinted directly towards the spears, merging with the ground below so he would be able to easily dodge directly below the projectiles. He would merge with the ground before the spears would get close to him, but he would wait until he saw the wall form in front of Stein, removing his ability to see through the wall. He would close the gap quickly between the two shinobi, being that his opponent had crouched behind a wall of spears, he had a few moments without the prying eyes of his opponent Stein. He would use this moment to unleash his sacred technique, Loki's Mist. His eye would expand, allowing a mist to secrete from it. 

The mist would not be unlike that of a early morning fog, just enough to be seen, but not enough to be a hindrance to the eyes, enhanced or otherwise. The mist would go between and over the spears that his opponent was crouched behind, so should he remain in his place for even just a few moments, the mist would catch him and he would be under its influence. 

Taichi would stop himself fifteen meters away from Stein, being sure not to get too far ahead of himself and rush directly into a counter attack. He would instead allow his mist to do the moving for him. The mist would rush forward (100 speed), which if Taichi remembered correctly, was faster than that of his opponent's speed. Taichi would not push himself any farther, he would instead allow his work to be done from fifteen meters away, for once Stein was trapped by Loki's Mist, the real work would just be beginning for both shinobi. Should Taichi have the need, he would be able and ready to react and fully merge with the ground, just in case.

Used:

Mayfly
Loki's Mist
EMS

The moment Stein saw the mist he fired off the spears in a spiralling motion to try and drag the mist away from him, at the same exact time as he fire them off he jumped backwards trying to stay out of reach of the mist. While simultaniously weaving hand signs, then as Stein landed he would sink completely into the ground. Using the Hidden like a mole technique Stein had to take a moment and think out a strategy, and wait out the Mist above, He could not see in it, so Stein would Deactivate his ems for now and would sit there and meditate waiting and thinking.

He knows that Taichi had the ability to fuse with the ground where as Stein digs through it. Stein was only five meters underground, If the man Taichi could fuse with anything organic his wood techs would not do him much good. that leave Stein a few techniques left that he could use. His Cero and his Threads, it was not much to work with but at least it was something.

As the mist was sent towards Stein, you could tell it concerned him based on the reaction. He immediately shot off his spears that were acting as a wall, but fired them in a spiral type pattern, keeping them high to the ground to hit the mist, as if he was trying to drag it away from him. This did little to deter the mist from spreading, but it was a valiant attempt. The spikes flew well over Taichi's head so he had no need to worry about dodging the spears as they flew. 

Stein then leaped into the air, backwards as to try and get away from the mist, an interesting decision in Taichi's mind. As he fired off the spears, Taichi finished closing the gap and speed directly for Stein, also grabbing two kunai knives from his weapon's pouch and he threw them directly for Stein's flight path. As Stein would near the ground, he would have both kunai knives flying directly for his heart and his left lung. 

This of course was something that Taichi was sure Stein was capable of blocking himself, but this would give Taichi the chance to get within range for his next phase of his attacks. The mist would still be protruding from his eye, and Stein would be landing directly within the 25 meter range that his mist was able to reach. There was little Stein would be able to do to stay out of the mist, but maybe he would be able to fight off whatever it would be that would come from the darkness. 

Taichi would be 15 meters away from Stein by the time he would land from his leap backwards, keeping his guard up and ready for whatever couterattack Stein may attempt. 

Used:

Mid thread claims: 

TWC: 3501

+3501 towards Truth Seeking Orbs (4811/7500) (Previous Progress)

Approved

Stein would immediately reach out and catch the kunai in mid fall, and upon landing on the ground would throw the Kunai right back at Taichi. At that very moment, Stein would Stop and wait to see what kind of effect this would have on him. May as well stop trying to fight it and take it head on. and with that Stein would wait to see, what would happen, if Anything.

Stein readied himself with his hands held up close towards his chest, ready to throw punches or weave signs.

Stein would do something that Taichi would not expect, he would grab the two kunai out of the air and he would ready himself to throw them back at Taichi. Unfortunately for him he would shortly thereafter drop into the mist, and the world around him would go into pure blackness. Taichi would move a few meters to the side, watching Stein throw the kunai directly to his side. It would have been a straight shot into Taichi's midsection if Taichi hadn't moved, but due to the blackness, Stein wouldn't have any idea as to where Taichi would be at the time of his throw. As the kunai were being thrown, Taichi would have already moved and began the next phase in his assault. He would yell out "Summoning Jutsu!" Before he would create two illusions on the other side of Stein from Taichi. The illusions would be seven feet tall, both armed with swords in each hand. They would rush towards Stein from 10 meters away and they would begin swinging the swords, aiming for vital spots on the body.

Taichi on the other hand would activate his highest dojutsu, the Rinnegan. He knew there was power to be discovered from it, but he was going to let it loose with Stein, as this was his most worthy opponent in his eyes. He felt guided by the gods to hold out his hands, he flattened his palm and suddenly a black rod protruded from his palm. The black rod would then shoot directly out of his palm and would be aimed directly for Stein's body. He would use the mist to suppress all of the movements from Taichi, the only sounds he would be ale to hear would be the giants with swords trying to kill him, the rod would be traveling at it's max speed of 65. Should the rod make an impact with Stein, then he would feel his chakra begin to wane. The rod would be one foot long and three inches in diameter. The rod would be silent to Stein as it ran through the air and he would be aiming for center mass, an easy target as Stein's attention would be divided on what he was doing as well as the giants trying to kill him. Taichi would wait, he would wait to see just what would happen with his first phase of the barrage of attacks that are on the way.

AP:

WC: 408

Stein would use his hands as he ducked under the blades and caught each beast by their hands. Using his Immense strength as he used his Chakra enhanced Strength. And with this he would shove one hand away pushing the blade towards the other beast, at which time he would use both hands to throw the other beast by its hands at the other. Aiming to impale one or the other if not both on the others blades.

Suddenly while not feeling any pain, he felt the impact of something into his body. Yet he could not see it? That is when it dawned on him, this was a genjutsu, At which time he would bring his hands together for a Kai release to burst free. And Upon getting out of the genjutsu, he would see the black rod in his chest which missed all of his hearts thankfully. Then he would look up and see his friend with the Purplish eyes with circles, this power....

"YOU SHOT ME IN THE CHEST WITH A ROD?! ARE YOU SOME SORT OF CRAZY BASTURD?!" Stein would use his strength to pull the rod out of his chest and throw it down onto the ground. He covered the hole left in his chest with his hand as his stitches would come together to fill the hole up. Luckly the rod did not hit anything vital to living or moving. Or even any of his extra organs he used from his transplants.

Stein would take the moment to breath as his hands stopped glowing as he used the technique for only the instance in the genjutsu "Seems we take these things a little to far for the likes of normal beings " Stein would laugh heartiedly.

Taichi watched with his hand extended as Stein began to fight off the beasts that were all in his mind. There was an itch inside his head, directly behind his eyes. He knew what it was that he had to do, something that he wasn't sure if it was going to work, but he trusted in the power of his eyes, he trusted them enough to do what it was that he wanted to do. He activated his Sage Mode, to grant himself a boost in his Vigor (now 170) and his Speed (now 190).

"That was the same feeling that he had when-" no time to think of it now. Stein was throwing one of the beasts it looked like when the black rod that he had shot from his hand had impaled his body, this surprised Taichi as he was still learning so much about this power and what to do with it. 

Before the rod had even penetrated Stein's body, Taichi was moving forward to the next phase of his attacks. Quickly 10 orbs had formed in a passive form directly behind him. Just as the rod was penetrating Stein's body, three of the orbs would be sent flying directly towards Stein's location (speed 170). The orbs would not stay orbs, however, they would form a wall that would form to be ten meters by forty meters as they began to rush towards him, forming almost instantaneously due to Taichi's enhanced Vigor from Sage Mode. 

He knew that this was a move that could kill his opponent, but he knew that Stein was a formidable foe, and that was something he didn't take lightly. He would use one more of these orbs to form a floor underneath Stein, making it quite deadly should he try to escape the wall of destructive chakra through the ground below. Taichi wouldn't stop there, as this opponent was not someone to trifle with. He would remember briefly the time that they had fought before. 

He remembered that this was a time before he had gained control over the Nature energy that flowed through his body thanks to the implant from the Jugo that he had received when he was in Suna. The rage that he felt, completely unfolding, causing him to go on a rampage. He had very little in the means of control of his power, but now he had gained that control, and he was going to demonstrate that here. 

He quickly formed the hand seals to create a massive dome to completely surround both Stein and himself. The dome would be forty meters in diameter and it would be ten meters tall in the center. Being that Stein and himself were only 15 meters away, this would put the two very much into a smaller arena, and this one would block out all light, making the arena between them impossible to see each other with the naked eye. Luckily for Taichi he had the Rinnegan, which allowed him to see chakra, even if the light was completely cut from his eye sight.

The wall of destructive chakra would have traveled a few meters from Taichi's position by the time the genjutsu would be released, and the dome would be created at about the same time as the genjutsu would be released. This would give Taichi the ability to trap his opponent within the dome of wood, while also sending out the wall of destructive chakra using his Rinnegan. The wall, upon arriving at Stein's location would wrap around him, creating a prison that would be completely surrounding him in every direction, while the orb that had formed a fifteen meter by fifteen meter floor would rise up from below him.

This prison would be deadly if he would try to escape it through any normal means. Before the wall would wrap around him, the wall of destructive chakra would not rise above the dome as they would be the same height. The wall would get smaller to accommodate the height of the dome so they would not cancel each other out, but it would make simply dodging the wall impossible as there would be no way to fit in between the destructive chakra and the wooden dome.

Taichi was sure that this wasn't the end for Stein as he was a smart opponent, but he wanted to give him a run for his money with the newfound power that he had attained in the time since their last spar.

WC: 751