Match 1: Zeo vs. Enishi

The time had come. Zeo had participated so far , so well in the Chunin Exams, due to his own modest assessment. The written portion was easier than he thought it would be. The second part was more of a surprise, but he won his place through ingenuity and creative means to best his attacker. It was a team effort, but he surprised his foe the best he could and met the means to victory.

It was times like this he was humbled by how much faith his friends and betters had in him. He didn't want to let them down. He couldn't let them down. It wasn't a matter of fear or doubt. It was merely the fact of who he would face and what actions he needed to take. Now, he marched down the tunnel and into the arena for the third round for the Chunin Exams... He reached the end of the tunnel and with his sword on his back and his tools in hand, he was prepared to face his foe. A fellow Hoshigakure Shinobi.

He stepped out of the tunnel, into the light of the arena.

The arena was unusual-- instead of a circular space, they had a walled-off section with each of them in a wedge of space, and elemental factors marking the terrain. For their fight, there was a series of dusty hills, grassy areas, two treed areas , and lastly a large cropping of a lake in the edge of the wedge, with a small stream that ran from it. It was an unusual design but Zeo got the gist of it. He knew a skilled shinobi had to know their surroundings. If he was smart, he could use them wisely, as well as other parts to the arena.

Still, he knew his enemy would be just as resourceful.

The roar of the crowd was a surprise to him as it was not just for him, or his opponents but others who were entering their own slice of the training grounds. He could see the crowd around them, and somewhere he knew the Hogokage and Yasha were watching. He hoped he could do them proud in that moment.

He soon reached the proctor-- and soon saw his opponent.

"I was afraid of this," Zeo sighed as he saw him approached.

Enishi Kurosawa... a fellow Hoshigakure Shinobi. Zeo and him had encountered one another and to the point Zeo considered him a friend. He knew which of his fellow shinobi were in fact participating and was grateful he was involved. He didn't think however, that Enishi would be his first opponent. Their exchanges had been pleasant and friendly. This was the first time they would ever truly face off as adversaries and it made Zeo a bit apprehensive.

"I knew it was inevitable, but I had hoped to not fight anyone i knew too soon," Zeo stated planly, not out of disrespect but knew that the fact they were familiar was a difficult thing to overcome. Each of them had a glimpse of what the other was capable of, but not everything. He did know that he was a foreigner, like him, who were welcomed into t he Hoshigakure village. They were very much alike. Perhaps it was only natural for them to fight eachother.

"I just want you to know, I intend to win... but I hope we can face eachother with respect and honor in this encounter," Zeo said. "Though its tough to be honorable in a fight based off deception, as most ninjas are..." he corrected with a half-hearted laugh.

He wasn't sure how Enishi would respond, but he still held his ground.

"The match will now start. Zeo Kamigawa against Enishi Kurosawa. Opponents face each other and form t he confrontation sight," the proctor spoke.

Zeo approached his enemy, standing 20 meters away from him. on the grassy patch of ground next to the small river. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. As he formed the confrontation sign, he opened his eyes with resolve to win and fight a honorable fight against a fellow Shinobi he sincerely respected.

He was ready.

WC: 694

Action: Zeo enters the arena, and faces Enishi. Standing 20 meters away from him, he forms the confrontation hand sign out of respect and is prepared to fight.

Stats and Stuff:

Today was the day. It was the most anticipated date in Hoshigakure this year, marking the third and final round of the competitive International Chuunin Exams. Countless people from even outside the village were excited for this day to arrive, as frantic gossip, rumors, and even bets proliferated the village blessed by the stars. Today was only the commencement of the final round however, as there would more to come in the next barrage of days. Unlike the first and second, Round 3 was to be displayed in front of the Hoshigakure Public. This was due to the fact that it was quite agreed upon to be the flashiest round of them all, being a spectacle worth the price and admission. Round 3 was a combat tournament so each Genin could show to their Kage that they wholeheartedly deserved the Chuunin rank. Competition, deceit, and brutality were to be given due to the nature of the tournament, so there was no holding back. Win or lose were the only jurisdictions in round 3. Despite the brutality that the round usually came with, this didn't stop from attracting everyone around the Ninja World to gather around and watch Genin fight each other until the brink of exhaustion. However, the Chuunin Exams were hosted in Hoshigakure, which meant that the clergy also caught wind of what the exams entailed. So it wouldn't be uncommon to see clergymen protest in the streets of Hoshigakure, pleading for the exams to end. Despite the emotional protests, the exams went on.

With the commencement of the third round, most Genin was excited albeit nervous since this was the chance for them to showcase their abilities. But for a certain silver-haired teenager, nothing but guilt swelled within his body. Enishi felt as though he didn't deserve to be in the exams, much less the third round of all places! Why should he have a right to compete against other Genin brimming with such talent and resolve when he had none of those qualities? Despite the understudy passing the Written Exam and passing the bell test with flying colors, those thoughts still weighed deep within his mind. He felt inadequate standing as one of only ten competitors that were able to get through the second round. The Genin were better than him at every possible thing, so why bother? "Someone else should be in my place..." The understudy absentmindedly thought while slipping through the crowded streets of the Hoshigakure morning, eventually arriving at the entrance of the Chuunin Exams Arena. 

"Zeo Kamigawa and Enishi Kurosawa, please enter Wedge 1 of the arena." Before Enishi could sit down and attempt to gather himself before facing his opponent, the intercom resounded amidst the arena. He was going to fight...Zeo? "What the hell." The understudy muttered to himself, apathetically standing up before walking through the tunnel to enter Wedge 1. Why him all of all people? It wasn't like he wanted to face Zeo, however, the Kamigawa didn't deserve to face someone who had little to no resolve. Just...why? He didn't want to let down his opponent - his friend, but Enishi knew that his combat performance would be surely affected if he still had his self-deprecating thoughts in his mind. Alas, time bore no sentiment toward emotion. 

As light filled the dark tunnel, the silver-haired Jugo scanned the area with his emerald eyes. It seemed that the arena was separated into five parts with large walls - "wedges" as the tournament announcer called it just moments before. There were a series of dusty hills, two freestanding forested areas measuring 15 meters in radius, a grassy area, a river separating the grassy area and one of the freestanding forested areas, a rock path, a large boulder 10 by 12 meters in radius then height, and a forest at the edges of the wedge. In short, there was a lot of manipulable terrain that the two Genin could manipulate. Enishi would head towards one of the freestanding forest areas next to the small river that measured 15 meters in radius, standing 5 meters in front of it so he could be 20 meters away from his opponent, parallel from Zeo. This also allowed him to retreat into the forest should things go south. Speaking of south, 15 meters directly south of the two teenagers would be a lake 20 meters in size but only half a meter deep. 10 meters in front of Enishi and 10 meters in front of Zeo would be a small river that flowed into the lake, separating the two boys. The river was only about a meter in length and a half a meter deep, however. 

As Zeo approached Enishi before standing in his position at the edge of the grassy area he was in, he began to speak. Despite the Kamigawa's kindness, he fully intended to win. His eyes shined with the resolve that Enishi lacked; it was as if the understudy stared into the person he wanted to be but could never be. "I..." A pained and guilt-ridden expression was the response to his opponent's words. Why was it that Enishi felt this way? Why did his heart ache so much? He couldn't understand. But, the cheers from the crowd, the faces of jubilation, the festivities occurring in the arena slowly made Enishi ease up. 

It was at that moment, that he regained his determination.

He was fighting for everyone that stood on the stands. All of the looks of amazement, wonder, and excitement that came from the people in the stands, that was the reason Enishi fought. It didn't matter whether he deserved to be in the third round or not. All that mattered, was keeping everyone entertained and being in service for Hoshigakure. If he lost, so be it; he would serve as a stepping stone for Zeo's success in the future rounds. If he won, so be it; he would carry Zeo's wishes and continue to the exams. It would be insulting to the people, to the other Genin who lost in the previous rounds if the understudy didn't try his damn best. "Wow, I'm an idiot," Enishi said to himself in amazement - ignoring the fact that Zeo as well as the proctor would probably be bewildered at Enishi's sudden change in demeanor and words. The understudy's signature soft and serene smile formed on his face as fire gleamed through his emerald eyes. "Honestly, I didn't think I would get this far in the exams. But now that I'm in the third round, all of this pressure really got to me. I kept obsessing over the most nonsensical of things just so I could feel better about not trying my best. But, that line of thinking is incorrect. I have to try my best, it would be insulting to everyone who failed in the exams and everyone who's watching not to." Enishi resolutely said.

"Whether who wins or loses, let's have a great match, my friend." With that, the proctor would commence the match before disappearing from sight instantly, allowing the two to start the fight. Enishi - per rules - put up the seal of confrontation towards Zeo with his right hand, letting his left hand droop down to his hips. He made sure that his Ninja Tool Sealing Bands were equipped on his right and left forearms and his ninja tool pouch was on his right hip. Taking a deep breath. He looked Zeo in the eyes, being prepared to react to even the slightest of movement. 

He was ready. 

WC: 1257

Zeo's words were sincere as he hoped to respect Enishi, to show him he could fight him but still uphold their bonds as fellow Hoshigakure Shinobi. Clearly, no one wanted this to be a fight to the death. Despite the claims and protections they had, he couldn't help but hesitate deep down to strike. He could even see Enishi's hesitation. He too didn't want to fight Zeo as well. It almost made Zeo hesitate more. However, it was then his mood changes as he was reminded this was bigger than just them. It was for their village. At least no matter who won, they would represent and honor their village proudly.

At Enishi's words, Zeo smiled. "Honestly, I feel the exact same way," Zeo said proudly.

The brief and positive words of the two shinobi were putting the emotionless proctor to sleep as he announced again for them to get ready. Zeo took one last glance at the surrounding environment. He had a general plan of what to do, but it was now the time to take action and not simply think. He held his fingers tight as he faced Enishi. Tension was thick in the air as the proctor raised an arm.

"Ready.... and fight!!"


BWEEESH!!

Zeo's move was swift and unexpected, starting with a bang! In that instant from the moment, the fight was declared, all he did was turn the 'seal of confrontation' to a 'hand-gun' position, with his middle and index finger extended and a thumb out, aimed at Enishi. From that simple tip and gesture, a white 6-inch-wide beam of chakra was fired out.

Zeo fired the Spirit gun, a jutsu he mastered with his specialty of expert chakra control to form a complicated offense jutsu free of any hand signs. While simple and low rank, it was unexpected and fast to use to surprise Enishi and start with an attack too fast to normally evade. While Zeo had more than capable jutsu at his disposal, he chose to not waste a single one and master even the most elemental.

The simple beam of chakra shot right for Enishi straight ahead, able to reach him with a direct hit. As he did, Zeo moved closer, approaching the small creek that divided them. If he reached the river, he could be in place to use more advanced techniques, but also depending on his opponent's move.

As he did, his other hand also glowed with chakra-- a stored second shot out of sight for the moment depending on Enishi's actions. While Zeo preferred to keep his distance, he also knew he had to limit Enishi's options too. To get too close would be bad, but to let him go to a place that worked to his advantage could be just as bad. For now, he would get to t he creek and work from there...

WC: 482

Stats and Actions:

Hearing the Kamigawa's earnest words about feeling the exact same as the understudy himself put more into perspective how the other Genin were thinking about the exams. Appearances were deceiving, and it appeared like Enishi wasn't the only person who felt inadequate in being part of the final round. Facing against other opponents and possibly even friends who were at least as strong as you could do that to somehow. But it didn't matter now. The fire residing in the eyes of both Hoshigakure shinobi confirmed that they overcame their insecurities and would rise to the occasion. Loss, victory, pain, sorrow, would be reserved for later; all that matter at this moment was giving the crowd the greatest form of entertainment they have ever had the pleasure of viewing and showing everyone the true power of Hoshigakure. Inhale. Exhale. Enishi's breath hitched for a brief moment  - yet a crucial moment nevertheless as he readied his chakra to circulate around his body at rapid amounts, preparing himself to utilize his chakra reserves for the incoming battle. His Seal of Confrontation grew looser and looser as the air began the shake due to the force of the proctor swinging his arm down like an anvel. The last breath the understudy took in that moment was the last serene one, resembling the calm before a storm. 

"Ready....and fight!"

Light. Light flashed before the Jugo's eyes as Zeo's turned his seal of confrontation into a peculiar handgun position - though the understudy didn't have much time to dissect the odd nature of the hand formation. A ray of light constructed through expert chakra control spewed out of the extended finger, aimed towards the understudy's unguarded form. Such a refined yet powerful display of chakra was worthy of praise, but Enishi knew now was not the time for such trivialities. As his opponent fired the ray of blue towards the understudy, Zeo took the initiative to move closer to the river 10 meters equidistant to the two Genin. The silver-haired boy already realized that Zeo would want to move closer to the river since it was an effective water source, however, he wouldn't allow the Kamigawa's plans to bear fruit. As the ray of light and Zeo crossed a meter in distance, the understudy immediately outstretched his right hand that was initially in the form of the seal of confrontation into the shape of an open palm hand aimed at his opponent. "Annihilate all among your wake..." A small smile appeared on Enishi's expression, reciting the old scripture of a certain Fuuinjutsu in his thoughts.

Instantly, a runic seal formula reaching from his elbow all the way to his fingers appeared on the understudy; the seal formula was mostly covered by his long-sleeved signature clothing but a keen eye could see the peculiar seal on his hand. Wasting no time as the seal appeared, a one-meter diameter sphere of spiraling violet chakra burst out of the understudy's right hand, rushing towards Zeo at blistering speeds. This was the Dark River Breaking Seal: a rapidly decaying seal formula that unleashed a blast or multiple blasts of chakra directly from the seal. Enishi was a complete novice at Fuuinjutsu, but even a seal as simple as that was able to have a place in the Jugo's selection of jutsu. The violet burst of chakra was meant to intercept and clash with the Spirit Gun that Zeo launched towards Enishi as well as the second Spirit Gun - that Enishi didn't know about at that moment. The violet blast would devour and instantly destroy the Spirit Guns should they come in contact with it. The overwhelming size of the chakra blast, being a meter in diameter also allowed the understudy to hide behind it, using it as a form of makeshift defense from Zeo's Spirit Guns. Additionally, this prevented Zeo from advancing forward towards the river as the chakra blast would damage him greatly without suitable protection. 

As the Dark River Breaking Seal rushed towards his opponent, Enishi would be extremely attentive to his surroundings and paid attention to Zeo's reactions so he could act accordingly. The chakra blast was also translucent, allowing both the Kamigawa and understudy to see through its purple tint. This fight was getting interesting...

WC: 657
TWC: 1914

AP + Stats:

It seemed that Enishi was fast as well as he too produced a shot of his own, from a seal he formed in front of him. The sheen of violet chakra rushed outward to both attack Zeo and also deflect the shot of his spirit gun. The energy field of that mysterious jutsu was indeed strong, enough to soften the blow. While the Spirit Gun was quick, it lacked strength behind it to properly deflect it. A second shot now was there and Zeo knew his current build wasn't about to cut it.

Zeo canceled the resolved charge to his Spirit Gun, allowing the second tip out of view to fade. The second bolt was coming but he quickly wove his hands together forming the seals he needed. Tiger, snake, rat, snake-- he wove them fast, gotten good at weavingg signs since he first started. He pressed his chakra forward and inhaled.

"Water Style-- WATER WALL!!" Zeo shouted and blew out a stream of water from his mouth as he advanced. The stream reached directly to the ground where the creek was--- and in thatt instant right, before the second bolt would hit, the water from the stream suddenly erupted upward! It created a defensive wall, fueled by Zeo's chakra as he reached the water in time via the jutsu. The wall of water met with the bolt of chakra, and due to the water and chakra's power, it easily eclipsed it.

Zeo was able to take a breath as he reached where he needed. While the water was clear to see through from his end, he hoped the water wall, though limited, could give him some room to prepare his jutsu now.

Weaving signs again, he used the Water Wall for cover and took action.

***

Due to the rushing water from Enishi's end, he likely couldn't tell what Zeo was planning unless he got around the bulwark of water now in his way. The shilloete of him could be visible but not much else through the gushing water. However, it was then there was movement---

Two!

From out of the water wall on either side, appeared two Zeo's. One possibly real, and another a sure clone. Regardless of the state of things, there were now TWO Zeo's there for Enishi to contend with. The first one, Zeo soon produced from his sleeves after a few hand signs--- a series of watery shuriken. Running  to the right, 20 meters away from Enishi now, Zeo jumped and threw two shuriken at him-- to also do damage and also cut him off if he tried to run to his left, going more inland. The two shuriken though made of water, were sharp and deadly if suffered a direct hit by them!

The other Zeo was however keeping his same distance at 20 meters away now from the right side of the water wall. He soon formed two hand signs-- his eyes trained and focused on Enishi should he try to do anything new. While the hand signs seem to do nothing, the other Zeo was still ready with tricks of his own.

If Enishi should know one thing about Zeo now, he was a strategist. To call him a genius might be a stretch to his natural modesty, but he was smart. He knew how to assess a battle, learn from his enemy's actions and use proper placement to change the conditions of a fight. What he lacked in talents like others, he made up for with creativity and smarts. As much as he wished he had a bloodline like Enishi, he knew to depend on it alone was not the way.

Little did he know he had gifts of his own yet to be unleashed. For now, he resulted to his quick wit and cunning tricks.  

WC: 636

Actions and Stats:

The Dark River Breaking Seal proved quite effective in the long run, actively forcing Zeo to change plans as his Spirit Gun revealed to be weak in clashes, easily overpowered by the violet chakra blast. However, the understudy couldn't relax just yet because his chakra blast would receive it's next crucible in the form of a seemingly indomitable wall. Just as the Dark River Breaking Seal destroyed the ray of chakra, Zeo proceeded to spew out a stream of water that would impact the river and made it rise up in the shape of a giant wall of water - Water Style: Water Wall as the Kamigawa called it. Enishi was somewhat confused as to why Zeo would divulge such crucial information in the name of a jutsu for the understudy to clearly hear, but he supposed that it was something that helped shinobi concentrate. Nevertheless, a wicked sneer formed on the Jugo's expression - his emerald eyes practically gleaming shrewdness as Zeo's jutsu would form on the river and shield himself from the violet burst of chakra, dissipating into nothingness. Now that Zeo gave out the name of his jutsu, Enishi easily knew that he and his opponent shared the same technique. So, anything that he knew about the jutsu, the Jugo knew as well...

Enishi's wicked smile grew more and more apparent as the Water Wall began to rise up on the river, utterly destroying the Dark River Breaking Seal that the Jugo launched just moments before Zeo activated his defense. It was bothersome that the understudy couldn't fully view Zeo through the bastion of water - only his silhouette - but the silver-haired boy was determined to change this inherent disadvantage to an insurmountable advantage. You see because Enishi couldn't see Zeo due to the rushing water wall 10 meters in front of him, Zeo also couldn't see him due to Water Wall blocking his vision. As such, once the jutsu began to rise up and cover the two Genin's vision Enishi would take his opportunity to form handseals at blistering speeds unbeknownst to Zeo. Snake, Tiger, Horse, Monkey, and Dragon with his left hand and Tiger, Horse, Ram, and the Clone Seal with his right hand were the two distinct sets of handseals formed simultaneously. The handseals formed with his left hand and right hand were for two different jutsu that the understudy would wait for the right moment to activate. 

Due to Enishi's superior speed and both handseals being formed simultaneously, the time that it would take for the Water Wall to fully rise up, Zeo to take cover, then him forming handseals to activate his jutsu, the understudy would have already finished forming his own. Placing his hands in his pockets, the Jugo awaited for his opponent to emerge out of the Water Wall...and when he did...he would pay. 

Suddenly! 

There was not one, but TWO Zeo's that emerged out of opposing sides of the Water Wall. Taken off guard for a moment, Enishi had to react quickly to the two new enemies. He suspected that it was some type of clone technique, but it was still dangerous to take the two new Zeo's lightly. One clone emerged from Enishi's left (Zeo's right) via running in that direction before jumping about 5 meters up in the air. At the apex of the clone's jump, he would throw two water shuriken towards Enishi at high speeds. While this was occurring, another clone emerged from Enishi's right (Zeo's left) and would form a couple of handseals while staring oddly at the understudy..nothing happening at the time. As the clone to his left threw the two Water Shuriken towards him, the silver-haired boy breathed in for a moment before unleashing the first jutsu that he weaved handseals with his left hand just seconds ago. Suddenly, the earth erupted before the understudy. A meter in front of Enishi, the underground earth rose up, creating a singular gigantic rectangular wall of earth 10 meters wide, 10 meters tall, and a foot thick in size. As Zeo created a singular wall of water to shield himself, Enishi created a singular wall of earth to shield himself as well - the jutsu was called Earth Release: Multiple Style Earth Wall. This shielded Enishi from seeing the illusions that one of Zeo's clones could unleash in the future and additionally defended the Water Shuriken from striking the understudy. The Water Shuriken, due to their lack of power and elemental disadvantage towards Earth Release fizzled out upon contact with the giant Earth Wall. 

However, this was only the beginning of Enishi's strategy.

As the Earth Wall rose 2 meters above ground, effectively covering Enishi from Zeo at that point, the understudy would unleash the second jutsu he prepared: the Shadow Clone Technique. A solid replica of the understudy: named Shiki instantly appeared quietly a foot in front of the Jugo, hidden away by the earth wall covering the both of them and the Water Wall also covering Zeo's own vision, making it essentially impossible for Zeo and his clones to see Enishi and Shiki, a fatal mistake on the Kamigawa's part. Shiki would waste no time before forming four handseals hidden by the Earth Wall with both hands, coating his body in chakra to sink harmlessly and silently underground. Shiki utilized the Hiding like a Mole technique to stealthily burrow underground at maximum speeds. Shiki was able to sense everything in a 20-meter radius, from the Water Wall to how many Zeo's were on the field, and where everyone was currently at. "So you're hiding there...hmm..." Shiki thought in amusement as he immediately detected the real Zeo's location upon burrowing underground. Once he detected that the real Zeo was 10 meters behind the Water Wall, he would burrow underground for a meter before advancing forward at maximum speeds. Zeo had no reason to suspect that Enishi summoned another clone and the clone was coming towards him underground, so when Shiki arrived at the original's location, he would move up to be a foot below him. He would also unseal two Kunai from his Ninja Tool Sealing Bands on his right forearm to grip one of each in both by forming the ram handseal with one hand to activate the Basic Sealing Technique, awaiting Enishi to complete his side of the strategy, but he didn't have to wait long at all...

As Shiki traveled to Zeo's location upon Enishi's commands, the understudy would form four handseals with both of his hands this time, waiting for the Water Shuriken to strike the now fully erected Earth Wall. So just as the Water Shuriken came in contact and were destroyed by the wall, the understudy would activate his final jutsu in his strategy: Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet. Plastered on the center of the Earth Wall, a muddy head of a dragon would form 3 meters tall and 2 meters wide, using the Earth Wall as a catalyst for the earthen construct to appear. Gleaming red eyes, the dragon roared with intense ferocity. As Enishi held the seal of confrontation, the dragon head first turned its head left towards the Zeo that just fired the Water Shuriken and was just a meter from landing on the ground from its jump. And then, an absolute hellstorm of muddy bullets erupted from the dragon's mouth. The first bullet was aimed at the clone who was about to land on the ground from throwing the water projectiles, the second bullet was aimed at the real Zeo hiding behind the Water Wall, and the final bullet was aimed at the clone that stared at Enishi - well in this case, the Earth Wall. The dragon simply had to turn its head right as if it was a turret to aim correctly at all three targets. The bullets launched at rapid succession, tearing through the air at insane speeds. It was quite unlikely for the clones - especially for the one that was still in the process of landing to immediately change their directions and escape from the earthen bullets that were a meter in diameter. Should any of the clones come in contact with the earth bullets aimed at each one of them, then it was game over - as the bullets would eviscerate and tear them apart to the blunt force. They would revert to their original state, being a puddle of water.

But...the real Zeo's predicament was a different beast entirely. Shiki would sense that another jutsu - Earth Dragon Bullet would be activated and was aimed towards the real Zeo behind the Water Wall, so he needed to make sure that the attack would strike the Kamigawa. STAB! Angling the two Kunai upwards just as the bullets were shot, Shiki would thrust his arms and both Kunai in his right and left hands up through the ground, meeting the flesh and bone of Zeo's feet immediately. The Kunais tore through the ligaments and joints of the opponent's feet, crippling both of the Kamigawa extremities due to the joints severed. Shiki was Enishi's clone, and therefore knew which joints to sever that would cripple Zeo's movement since the understudy was knowledgeable in the human body. Should the Kunai come in contact with Zeo - which was very likely due to only needing to move a foot for the weapons to strike the boy, Zeo would find it extremely difficult to stand up, much less move or even possibly walk. The only thing that was allowing the Kamigawa to stand up was the Kunai being stuck to his ground and feet, acting as some sort of nail that was pinning him upwards. The Kunai thrust, the sudden pain, and even the existence of a clone would come to complete surprise to Zeo since the Water Wall and Earth Wall completely obscured his vision. Due to this, the Kamigawa would have a short timeframe to react, since the Earth Dragon Bullet would also be unknown to him. It would only be when the bullet destroyed and ripped through the Water Wall, would Zeo be alerted of its existence. And now...he only had 10 meters to defend against the rushing projectile that would send him flying to the ground should he come in contact with it.

Enishi was confident in his plan, but it didn't mean that he would be susceptible to hubris. The Earth Wall blocked his vision, but due to how thin the bulwark actually was, the understudy would be able to hear footsteps and suspicious sounds. He would alert of the environment at all times, paying attention to the slightest of changes to respond accordingly. Shiki would be of the same, using his 20-meter radius sensory to respond accordingly to the changes in the environment, still holding up the Kunai that pinned Zeo to stay in his position to make sure that his opponent had little opportunities to avoid their combined strategy.

WC: 1800
TWC: 3714 

AP + Stats:

Zeo watched, or at least the Zeos-- watched as the shuriken flew but was soon met by the stone wall. A stone wall jutsu. The real Zeo, wherever he was, gritted his teeth in frustration. He knew that Enishi was an earth user, a water-users natural weakness. Earth absorbed water, making water attacks by nature normally null and void. He really wished he learned lightning style if he could but that took far more time than he had. As the wall went up, Zeo made their own preparations, he had plans and was already following it.

What was surprising was Enishi's summoning an earth dragon from inside his own wall that came out. The dragon roared as it fired its bullets-- but by then Zeo's plan was already in place.

It was then that the ground erupted below  Zeo-- the real Zeo's position. Enishi's senses were spot on to suspect the real Zeo was behind the water wall. The vicious stab right through his tendons was indeed painful as Zeo cried out in pain, feeling the stab and the weakness in his limbs, as the clone held him in place. The water wall remained, prepared to be torn down by the Earth Dragon's attack...

... or so it seemed.


In that instant after the stab was done, the 'drip' of blood was not blood, but water. Zeo's whole form became water and turned to globs of it right in the clone Enishi's grip, and probably spattering him in the face in a mocking result. Zeo had substituted himself out just in time, having escaped the near-sudden check-mate that would have gotten him killed otherwise. Right before the clone emerged, Zeo had used hand signs-- and was properly timed just in case of such an ambush.

It didn't take a genius to consider an enemy to use clones too.

Either way, the clone, and the earth dragon hit just water as it tore through the first clone and wall...

... but what happened next was more of an eye-opener. The water of the first clone Enishi hit, and the resulting water-replacement shadow of Zeo now turning into water... began to change. From that water, it began to creepily take on a new shape and solidify. It was almost as if the water moisture was replicating somehow. It would become a spray of mist, water...

till a new form of Zeo appeared before the clone, and the first one. Further to his left, was another.

In a silent and creepy display,  more duplicates of Zeo suddenly surrounded Enishi from the other side of the arena (not including his clone), at least a dozen-- due to the division of the first clone. They were silent, creepy, and stared at Enishi in his resolve. Perhaps Enishi didn't see when they appeared due to the wall, but they were there now. The fact was, they multiplied! Any damage done to one, regardless of the kind, would cause them to divide...

Thus, they began to move around.

Meanwhile, the real Zeo was elsewhere, watching closely but also participating in his own way, thanks to both his clones and his own planning. Wherever he was, he positioned himself as best as he could to avoid direct hits, since it was clear now. Enishi wasn't pulling any punches either.

From the three clones closer to Enishi, they drew a series of the shuriken from their sleeves. Real Shuriken this time (since the clone who made the water ones were gone). On Enishi's exposed side of his earth wall jutsu-- the seemingly slow clones throw their weapons, causing them to fly at Enishi's position. If he was not careful, he could get hit by them!

All the while, they all began to slowly move around, some moving outward around the battlefield, some to the shaded tree areas, some around the creek, and some moving towards the lake area in the center of the edge, 10 meters away.

Where Zeo was, no one could say for sure...

WC: 669

Actions and Stats:

Enishi was - at the least - quite confident in his stratagem. From the understudy's perspective, his opponent made a giant mistake that he could take advantage of for an easy victory, blocking his vision so that a shadow clone could disable any form of movement, and the Earth Dragon Bullet taking him out in a coordinated combination. However, things were not as easy as they seemed. The silver-haired boy's eyes widened in sheer confusion when what should be the sound of an earthen bullet smashing against human flesh in deafening volume was instead the extremely loud sound of earth smashing against...water? The Water Wall should have already been taken out, so why was there a loud splash sound instead of a loud smashing sound? The understudy at that moment would dispel the Earth Wall he created a meter in front of him not too long ago as well as the Earth Dragon Bullet. He needed to get to the bottom of this. The Jugo decided not to dispel Shiki - his Shadow Clone right at this moment as he could work as another set of eyes and ears. For the time being, Shiki who was embarrassed by the splash of water that occurred by the real Zeo replacing himself with some unknown source of water, the Shadow Clone would continue using his Hiding like a Mole technique to sink a foot below ground level in his shame. Now hidden completely by the earth, the clone would continue to use his enhanced sensory to sense everything that was occurring on ground level within his 20-meter radius while dropping his kunai in the underground, hopefully being able to track where the real Zeo currently was. 

Once the earthen constructs dispelled instantly as the splashing sound resounded among the arena via Enishi's mental command, the understudy was surprised to not see Zeo's unconscious body on the ground. But that was impossible! The Shadow Clone was supposed to restrain the real Zeo with the kunais as the Earth Dragon Bullet would take him down. "What..." The understudy thought blankly as he tried to wrap his head around what really occurred. Did Zeo somehow escape? Either way, Enishi failed to defeat Zeo quickly and now he needed to think of a strategy quickly. But, all plans would be put on hold as the understudy spotted one of the remaining clones that somehow survived his hellstorm of earth bullets. And suddenly, the world would warp as more and more clones suddenly appeared, surrounding Enishi yet giving him a 3-meter radius airspace. "More clones? But, that's impossible! Even the strongest of clone techniques only allow someone to create up to four clones maximum," Enishi gritted his teeth as he took out a single Kunai from his Ninja Sealing Band, holding it with his right hand. 

It was extremely fishy. It was universally agreed as impossible to create more than four clones unless it was through the means of genjutsu. Enishi knew that genjutsu was an easy way to fool someone into thinking that they had a variety of clones...and what Zeo didn't know is that the understudy already knew and practiced with the exact same jutsu he was using...Mist Servant. The way the clones formed were the exact way that Mist Servant was used. Mist Servant was a genjutsu...and if something was a genjutsu, it could be broken. Given this information, the understudy decided to take a gamble...Clones behind the Jugo were about to throw solid shuriken at him, drawing Enishi's attention from the corners of his emerald eyes. He would turn around, facing the clones as he used Chakra Sensory to detect whether the clones were legitimate or not. 

It turned out that, only one of the clones carried a chakra signature.

All real clones carried the caster's chakra signature, so if a clone didn't have one, then it was surely an illusion. Just as the shuriken escaped from the three clones' hands, Enishi would form the tiger seal with the singular use of his left hand while ducking his head a few inches below to dodge the shuriken, and the world would revert back to normal. All of the clones, spare for the remaining water clone that was throwing the shuriken would disperse into nothingness, as well as their ninja tools...He performed the Genjutsu Release to free himself from the Mist Servant genjutsu which was quite the obvious illusion in hindsight. "So it was a Genjutsu..." The understudy thought as he threw his own kunai towards the remaining water clone 3 meters away from him whilst the water clone just finished throwing its own projectile. The remaining enemy shuriken whizzed above him as the kunai Enishi threw darted at blistering speeds towards the water clone. Should the kunai impact the water clone which would be very likely to occur given the speed of the movement speed of the clone and the close range it was in, it would disperse in a splash of water. 

Enishi, should the water clone be struck by the kunai, would turn back to his original direction, keeping an eye out for the real Zeo to reappear or for changes in the environment to occur so he could react. During all of this time, the Shadow Clone submerged a foot underground would be sensing for the real Zeo to appear so he could react as well. 

WC: 890
TWC: 4604

AP + Stats:

Up in the bleachers...

The crowd observed each contender in the final exam; one of the proctors, the cruel and cold seeming woman of Hoshigakure, Shina, observed the battle and watched as Zeo and Enishi battled. However, she was then joined by another-- a certain masked visored ninja who smirked at her. "Ah, lady Shina. Enjoying the show?" he said with a hint of a tease of his voice.

Shina gave him a cold glare. "It's my job, you idiot. Just like yours if you actually did it." she scoffed.

Despite the cold attitude, Yasha sat down in the next seat as he looked at the competition.  "It seems the third round is well underway. I didn't think they would be done all at once, but it is interesting to see things advance like this. So who has your attention?" he asked.

"The one that you choose to, baby," she said, her eyes looking to Enishi and Zeo's fight.

Yasha turned his masked gaze to the fight, seeing how Zeo's clones were blasted by the effort of the earth dragon but soon stumped by the use of the genjutsu, if even briefly. In truth, the fight was very tight and close to call, but he knew Zeo's location and understood his fighting style.

"The kid is dead meat," Shina said flatly with a sigh. "I  honestly think it was a mistake putting such faith in him."

"So sure, are you?" Yasha said with a knowing tone. "Care to make this interesting?" the grin on his face almost was wolfish behind the cool demeanor and mask.

She glared at him. "Money? I'm too rich for your blood, Okami," she said.

"Then how about tonight you wear that lit--- "

OOOFPH! Shina gave him a firm elbow to the ribs. While he didn't reel, he did wince at the sharp stab. "Shut up, you idiot! You mention that to anyone, and you'll face a painful death!" she snarled.

A small laugh laced his wheeze. "Hahaha... maybe you shouldn't let it show so much. Anyway, I have my reasons for putting such high hopes into Zeo," he explained.

Shina's embarrassed glare came to a realistic look as she looked to the battlefield. "I did read the report and his exam results. He is good. Better than most genin. I will not deny that but against someone of equal skill and intelligence, plus their added kekke Genkai... he is not going to survive." she explained. "You do know WHO he is fighting, right?"

Yasha looked and saw Enishi, his grin now gone. "Yes, I have. Enishi Kurosawa."

***
Zeo, or perhaps the clone of him, was, in fact, being mindful. Indeed, Zeo was skilled in the use of Genjutsu. Though Zeo and his 'clone' were separate, they shared the same mind and strategy. For Zeo his skill at genjutsu was acceptional. True, he knew that Enishi would probably see through it, but it was a well-placed gambit. Something to buy more time. However, Enishi was fast, and his kunai was too quick to dodge or counter fully...

And now he knew how his opponent would move and operate. However, there were two glaring problems. One was Enishi's keen use of being a sharp shinobi. He was able to tell Genjutsu, so it did put a small disadvantage to Zeo's plan. Also, his sheer strength and skill with earth style were another. Plus, his shadow clone was stronger than conventional clones he knew. Worse, he used the clone to act as a sensory and would use underground tactics to track Zeo and attack underground.

Regardless of where the real Zeo was... even by now, Enishi could guess where he was. It was only a matter of time.

Still, Zeo and his clone were the same pretty much. Even as a clone, Zeo kept a confident, cool gaze at the two Enishi-- as one vanished into the soil as the two threw kunai at him!

Zeo moved but not fast enough as he soon was hit by the Kunai. He had turned left, only to have the Kunai strike him in his left arm-- but better than a vital spot on his body. Even for a clone, he maintained a sense of self-preservation. But the thing was, a hit like that wouldn't work due to the clone in, and it made him look very much like the real thing. Even the wound looked realistic, but enough for him to move. The benefit to water clones, unlike standard clones, as they were far more durable and capable. Despite a lower range than others, they operated far more complexly than a single clone that could only take a single hit. The only reason Zeo's first clone was blown away was due to the full force of the Earth Dragon Bullet. In any event, a single hit wasn't enough to take the clone down but still hurt.

Aware that the Genjutsu was undone, Zeo got to work on his next move. He now knew his opponent was in front of him, and now as the clone sank into the ground, below him. He couldn't stay in one place for long. At that moment, he jumped backward in an attempt to get off the ground and gain distance. The wide jump would send him far enough away, but not before he did something else too.

Zeo reached behind him with his hands--- one to grab more of his ninja tools... the other on his left, despite the wound on his arm, forming hand signs with one hand. Much like Enishi, he too learned the One-handed skill for multi-casting jutsu. It was not a skill Zeo particularly liked, but it gave him enough freedom to make multiple attacks at once. With the hand signs behind him, Enishi wouldn't see what was coming...

At the same time,  Zeo drew out a ninja tool. A small black ball that he tossed at the space separating him from the real Enishi.

Boooom!!! A cloud of black smoke erupted in all directions. A smoke bomb easily casting the scenery in disarray as it eclipsed 20 meters around them and obscuring all vision for him. After that,  Zeo, too, threw a series of Kunai-- 3 specifically in the path around him. However, each one had a surprise wrapped around their handles... an explosive paper bomb. The moment they landed, more explosions went off, this time louder and more dangerous! Each one caused a violent eruption that would no doubt rattle one's senses underground. The sound or vibrations of explosions would easily mask footsteps too.

It was now his last chance. The moment he touched the ground-- he sprinted for the far end of the arena and left a couple of explosive tags in his path. He ran towards an open area to the nearest wall, perhaps trying to get off the ground so he couldn't get attacked from below again.  But then again, the clone had no other option. He couldn't face them both in that current situation.  Should Enishi get clear of the smoke, he would see Zeo had no choice but to run to an area with little cover and the wall in front of him.  

***

Shina blinked, almost insulted, as she saw the seemingly random attack. "What the hell is he doing?" she grumbled, "Is he just attacking blindly now? He's losing it in every sense of the word."

Yasha, however, kept his eyes peeled on the fight behind his visor. "No. Look what he is doing. He has been learning. It's a common tactic to stall a fight to assess your enemy properly. Zeo has been doing that well, despite his fast start. This move is proper defense." he explained, "He knows his enemy can attack from underground, so he is using the explosions for cover. Because likely, and I say this from what I know, earth style can only allow you to sense enemy movement via their footsteps and vibrations. With the explosions...."

Shina soon came to the same conclusion. "... it will disorientate and confuse the opponent underground. But still, that is only going to last so long. As I see it now, he is just retreating. "

"You underestimate him. And this is not mere favoritism," Yasha said as he watched. "You have no idea what Zeo is capable of."

Shina kept quiet for the moment.

Actions and Stats:

WC: 1404

Watching to see how the remaining water clone would react to the near-point blank kunai attack, the understudy would be prepared to react at any given moment. He still hadn't figured out where the real Zeo was due to his and his Shadow Clone's failed attempt at restraining and then eliminating his opponent's chance at winning, so he disliked wasting more and more of his chakra reserves on a clone of all things. Perhaps this was Zeo's strategy in chipping away at Enishi's reserves, but one thing to note about the boy was that his stamina was pretty massive for a Genin in case he needed to perform a battle of attrition. As the kunai darted towards the fake Zeo, it would become apparent that the clone was incredibly slow compared to the kunai, only able to move a few inches to evade fatal blow to the chest and instead to the left arm. Internally cursing himself for not slightly angling the throw or not throwing more throwing weapons to cut off any route of escape, the understudy had to move quickly in hopes of correcting his mistake. This time, he would have to waste even more of his reserves on his damned clones...But, an opportunity arrived.

Immediately after being struck by the razor-sharp projectile, the clone performed a risky move: jumping. Enishi's eyes practically gleamed after seeing the water clone propel himself through the air. With the three meters of distance between the two combatants, the fake Zeo would attempt to cover more distance by jumping a total of five meters backward and a few feet upwards to get his feet off the ground. As the clone began to jump, it would form handseals behind its back with the use of One-Handed Seals which was unbeknownst to the understudy, but what alerted Enishi the most was that the clone reached its ninja pouch for a smoke bomb that it would hold for a moment before dropping; it would attempt to impact the ground the few feet below him. With that, the Jugo sprang into action. As Zeo launched himself in the air and pulled out a smoke bomb for Enishi to see, the understudy would form two sets of handseals for two distinct jutsu simultaneously. Tiger, Horse, Boar, and Ram for his left hand and Ox, Tiger, and Ram for his right. Due to Enishi's superior speed and the handseals being low in number, this allowed him to time his actions perfectly.

Three meters behind and parallel from the water clone as it launched itself through the air, a single spear of earth burst through the very ground beneath the two. This technique was called 'Earth Flow Spears.' This was the first jutsu Enishi activated with his right hand through the gap in time that Zeo would jump and the time that it took for the Smoke Bomb would impact the ground. Due to this, there was still a time that Enishi could see his opponent to know where to place the spear on activation and let the jutsu do the work from there. The spear, upon creation, was a foot in radius and would soon lengthen to its maximum size automatically. Aimed in a 45-degree angle towards Zeo's chest from behind, the earth spear would waste no time before elongating at breakneck velocity towards that area, soon extending to a maximum length of 5 meters. This would seem to be an easy attack to dodge, but when you break down the physics of the situation...the clone's chance of surviving the "surprise!" spear from behind him was near zero. You see... the clone was jumping and currently midair due to the jump. When jumping, one could not change the trajectory of their leap unless they had some sort of midair movement capabilities meaning that anything placed behind or in front of them was essentially guaranteed to hit. Zeo's clone had little chance of dodging the Earth Flow Spear elongating three meters behind him due to him jumping backward and the spear behind him rushing forwards. His momentum by itself would skewer him but now that the spear was thrusting forwards and he was moving backward...it was a very low chance that the clone would be able to save himself, much less even recognize that a spear was behind him due to lack of vision and that the smoke bomb would release shortly. This also prevented the water clone from launching the kunai laced with explosive tags due to the fact that there simply wasn't enough time to do so. 

But, the understudy wasn't done yet. Shortly after summoning the earth spear behind the clone's jump that would most likely intercept and eliminate it, Enishi would activate his second jutsu that he formed the handseals with his left hand: Needle Jizo. As the smoke bomb landed in the current three-meter gap between the two boys, the metabolism of Enishi's silver hair would wrap around his whole body, totaling a meter in spherical radius. His vision would be obscured once the smoke bomb landed, so at the same time, he'd also activate his Chakra Sensory so he could sense all foreign chakra signatures within five meters. It wasn't a perfect substitute to vision, but he needed the defense from Needle Jizo to defend against Zeo's attacks in the smoke. He needed to be alert at all times.

In any case, should the spear strike the clone which had a very high chance of doing so, it would completely skewer through it dealing a fatal blow. Zeo would slide down the earth spear in a gruesome fashion as he was skewered by it before turning into a splash of water. The secret Genjutsu that the clone tried to pull off as well would deactivate now that it was dead. Delighted that the clone was finally eliminated once its chakra signature was gone, he would deactivate his earth spear once everything went smoothly. Enishi would now be focused on sensing for the real Zeo should he enter the Jugo's five-meter radius. His underground shadow clone would still be active, scrying and sensing the area for the real Zeo to come out and stop hiding in his twenty-meter radius. All in all, the Kamigawa didn't have the element of surprise in his favor, as both Enishi and his shadow clone were ready and prepared to react to any more of his tricks. 

Starting his sensing, Enishi would quickly retrieve and swallow one of his Nature Chakra Inhibitor pills with his free right hand as he was feeling a familiar twinge rising up. This would most likely go unnoticed due to the Needle Jizo and smoke bomb covering him though he'd be prepared to react if some sort of stimuli alerted him. After all, his vision was gone so he needed to pay attention to everything. He had to thank Akabayashi for preparing those for the exams... 

WC: 1149
TWC: 5753

AP + Stats: