Clash of Souls [P]

The Shiratori cried.

Today had been a long time coming. It was as if the world knew that today would mark the end of a chapter, but also commemorate the beginning of a new chapter - some may it call the events of the past the prologue of this story - this day being marking the last pages of said prologue. This was a day that would go down in the history of the Water Gardens - no, the history of Hoshigakure. Two souls with conflicting desires yet kindred spirits, two souls with lofty ideals yet little to no experience in life, two souls who saw each other as friends yet exuded discourse on a subject that couldn't be compromised over. 

A boy, born from the hellish wastes of snow and surrounded by death since his birth - carrying a curse that made him a scapegoat for all of humanity's failures, shortcomings, and cardinal sins. He was unable to truly love, he was unable to live without staining his hands with the cursed blood that was his ancestry and very condition he took his first breath in the world of shinobi. He saw humanity as a sadistic, self-centered beast that embodied all of the original sins in its purest form. Greed, Envy, Lust, Pride, Sloth, Wrath, Gluttony - even the sins of duality, Acedia, and Vainglory...humanity was the personification of the sins of the Shinobi World. Because of this, things like equality and equity would never exist as long as humanity and the conditions that humans were born in such as clans and talent created an irrevolcable power balance. The boy sincerely believed that these inherent distinctions and sins of people could never be waved off as "differences", but rather, they were symptoms of being human. The human condition in its purest form. As is such, the only way to surpass this fate of humans was to put aside morality and instead become... a demon. That was how he saw the world, bloodied by his past.  Even still...the other boy, whose family and people were lost in the genocide of his town - still remained staunch that humanity was at least a blank slate, if not - inherently good. Distinctions in people could be amounted to people simply having differences and this didn't inherently mean a power imbalance when hard work was put into account. 

When the two looked at the abyss - one stared back, the other blinked.

That was what separated the two.

That was why this would be a Clash of Souls.

The Water Gardens was especially empty this afternoon...no, not that it was empty, but rather, people were watching away from the Water Gardens as if something was going down in the training grounds. People - Genin, Chuunin, Jounin, hell possibly even some familiar faces...hopefully Shina or Yasha weren't watching but it was possible; they all were grouped in an area that wouldn't disturb or make anyone in the Training Grounds acknowledge their appearance.  Who were they looking at? Enishi Kurosawa - Knight and Chuunin of Haven. Ever since the end of the Chuunin Exams, the "Hoshi Boys" had gotten quite a bit of a reputation for showing their talents in front of the whole village and world; because of this, all of them pretty much got "celebrity" status in Hoshigakure for their efforts. Everyone knew them, and they were all treated as potential candidates to be some of the strongest people in the village. Spare for a few of the religious zealots here and there, but the village effectively cared about the Hoshi Boys and saw them praiseworthy. In conclusion, they were pretty damn popular. 

Enishi was waiting for someone in the Water Gardens; he stood in the sparring sector of the training grounds which was only used during "duels" and battles that would judge the souls of shinobi who fought in the area. Essentially, this part of the Water Gardens was only used for clashes of souls, not just some petty spar. Everyone was interested to see in who Enishi was sparring, as the understudy was completely unaware that a large number of people were watching him from the sidelines.

The dueling sector of the Water Gardens was about an 80 meter radius clearing, completely circular which resembled an arena ring of sorts. What surrounded this sector which formed the circle were entrances to it, along with arena rings to give a cool sort of vibe. In terms of environmental stuff inside of the sector, it was just smooth grass that was able to be used for Earth Release and water. Speaking of Water, there was a river at the center of arena, which "split" the arena horizontally. The river was more like a stream, 5 meters long and wide. The river flowed into a larger lake that formed on the right side of the arena, 20 meters in size and 20 meters deep, both bodies of water being amazing for Water Release. Essentially, 60m of the arena starting from the left was land, and the other 20m of it was pure water. The dueling sector was made in mind for both parties to use elements at their leisure.

Enishi stood close to the center of the arena (he entered from the south of it and hopefully Zeo would enter on the north side of it so they could face each other anime-style lol), stopping just 5 meters behind the river. 10 meters right of him began the 20m lake that flowed into a waterfall. Regarding his appearance, Enishi wore his normal battle clothes/casual attire (as listed on the appearance section of stat page), including his newly acquired Nise armor under his clothes. Nise was an odd armor, as it functioned more as a second skin that was invisible to the naked eye that coated his skin. Under Nise and on his skin would be his seals in their designated areas. Of course, Enishi also wore his Ninja Sealing Bracers on his forearms, his ninja pouches on his hips, and his Tanto on his back belt (think Sasuke.) Hiramekarei had no use for today; he'd likely make a fool out of using it without ever having trained with the blade. Taking a sigh, he'd wait for his rival...to begin the Clash of Souls, crossing his arms to see someone enter from the other side.

WC: 1053

Passive Stuff:

Le Stats:

OOC Note:

Stats for Battle:

Today was the day of the fated encounter. Zeo, the outsider of Hoshigakure had now risen from a sad, empty nobody, to now a chunin among the star shinobi. A feat he was proud of. Further, his origins were now revealed to be the heir to a mysterious and powerful bloodline. The Kamigawa clan possessed a Kekkei Genkai, one he had only begun to unearth from the bowels of history. Though in his fight, his loss to Enishi was a personal blow to his confidence and self-esteem-- it was the spark that ignited that hidden power within him. Now, he was more aware of who he was... what he is...

Zeo walked to the water garden, where he knew Enishi was waiting for him. It was a place in the gardens he had not openly been to before-- a more grassy, open field of grassland with spanning creek that divided it clear in the middle, leading to a lake in the northern corner of the 'battlefield." It was not Zeo's ideal fighting choice, but sometimes you didn't get to pick your home field advantage. Enishi however-- Zeo had 'fond' memories of how he poped out of the ground to try and stab his legs to win the fight swiftly. He was lucky to escape narrowly.

Standing apart most, was the sole figure of the red-headed 'understudy' who had become Zeo's greatest rival yet. He marched forward slowly but unafraid-- as he soon stopped about 10 meters away-- five meters from his side of the creek that divided them. The were complete opposites. Enishi was pompous, prideful, unafraid and further... driven by a dangerous notion of purpose that being a monster was what he was meant to be. Zeo was cool, composed-- hollow almost as some would call it. After all his hardships, he came out stronger and internalized his pain as motivation to make up for his loss. He wouldn't allow that past alone to keep him from a future. It was thanks to the Hoshigakure shinobi that helped him find a new purpose to put his hopes in. And now, he was stronger than ever in both battle and his resolve.

Enishi was growing dangerous with his ideology-- and if the only way to make him see reason was to beat it into him, then he would do just that.

Zeo stopped there as he regarded Enishi, who looked back at him. He waved, greeting him silently as he held his hand up. "Enishi... " Zeo greeted, despite a firm but calm stoic look on his face as he lowered his hand, "... I want a rematch. No restrictions... no holding back. I want to show you what I am truly capable of. Will you accept my challenge?"

Zeo stood there with calm resolve. His hands itched with the desire to use his power, his veins tingling with the new sensation of energy he learned from his training and last talk with Enishi. As he waited his  answer, Zeo closed his eyes for the brief pause in the tension.

He now was far stronger now-- not because of any technique he learned alone, but by accepting who he was now. He changed. He was not just the same bookish, shy, and lonely little boy. He was now a chunin of Hoshigakure, headband and all as he wore his gear under his family robe. He wouldn't turn away from who he was now, no matter what hesitations he had or questions about his past. He would face it head on, world and all. He wouldn't advert his eyes away from the truth of who he was.

"I am thou..." Zeo spoke those words, the same words the great River God-- Hebo-- the persona that awoken from his soul, told him that fateful day of the Exam. He felt that same presence bubble up inside him-- which made him far more confident now than before.

He opened his eyes-- revealing the black, starry-eyed aura in replacement to the whites around his blue eyes. The majestic, mysterious aura of his eyes that now fueled his new ability and power. "Ready?" Zeo asked, raising the confrontation sign to show respect to his would-be foe.
WC: 706

Action and OOC notes: Zeo has challenged Enishi to a spar. This is a No-Death battle unless someone invades/interferes. Zeo activates Uchugan (rank 3 10 AP)
1111/ 1121 AP  Total

"...Father? Why are you showing me this?"

The voice, brewed from curiosity yet a paradoxical sense of mild indifference escaped from the mouth of a young boy. No older than the ripe age of eleven years old, yet eyes that were aged; they were eyes that resembled that of the abyss - yet colored dark green. The boy's skin - exceedingly pale and his sickly silver hair - resembled that of the hellish blizzard he was born into. His face was marred with emptiness; it wasn't as though he was saddened or anything like that, but rather, there was no reason for his face to be anything other than...empty. He felt as though he had no identity, no name, no reason to live...just a shadow that should have died the second after he was born just as fate intended him to. As cruel as fate was, he did have a name. Many people called him "Enishi Kurosawa" - son of Suguru Kurosawa and adoptive son of the Kurosawa Family - but that was a forgery. He had no name. "Enishi" was simply the name given to him by the orphanage, meaning "fate", intentionally meaning to mock him for being dealt the worst hand in life. "Kurosawa" was the loan name given to him once he was finally inducted as part of the Kurosawa Family. "Enishi Kurosawa", literally meaning "Swamp of Fate" was the mask given to him by the world, but was by was no means his true name. He had other names too - like "mistake", "bastard", "demon", and the one that stuck with him the most - "monster." He didn't really understand himself as a person, but weirdly enough - those words brought him the most solace than his mask. Perhaps he felt as though the hatred and vitriol spat out by those who called him those degrading names had emotion to them. The heat of those emotions, brought him warmth in the cold blizzard that ensnared his life. That town, that orphanage - even though they hated him - he couldn't bring himself to truly dislike them, as they showed Enishi a crucial fact of himself - he was a monster.

A proverb:

“A child that is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth.”

The boy who possessed no true name nor identity understood that. The boy of cursed fate brought upon a curse to the village that didn't accept him, becoming the very thing they called him - a mere monster.

Now, the young Enishi of eleven years old, just beginning his days as an understudy to his adoptive father who was a renowned surgeon, watched with his father - a graveyard in front of church of Hoshigakure. It bore many tombstones and graves of fallen shinobi, citizens, and even priests. The understudy looked on with indifference. "...As a Medical Student, I don't enjoy seeing death, however, I am not sheltered enough to have it phase me? So I ask once again father, why are you showing me this? That life has meaning, so keep on living even if it's hard? That you can create your identity even though the world hates you for existing?" A rare emotion for the young boy, irritation began setting in. It wasn't as though he actively wanted those in the graves to die, but...they were already dead. There was nothing you could do to change that! The dead must stay dead! The only value in life is living! Why should he care about mere corpses?! Just leave him alone! He already suffered enough from his - his - his - his - his - his - his - his - his


"Enishi, do you envy these people? Does it bother you?" It was a simple question from Suguru as he fetched his cigarette, lighting it in a fluid motion. Aaaaaa the smoke and flames from it were warm, but it couldn't have frozen Enishi's body any more. His body froze...but then, he resumed motion. Warmth ran down his cheek. It felt violating, and wet. Huh. Huh. Huh. Huh. Huh. Why were they running down to his chin? Why was water dropping down on the ground? It was evening time. There was no rain.

Ah, they were tears.

His knees gave up all of their strength in a solemn loss as his body fell to the ground as if it was tethered to it; tears continuously streamed down Enishi's cheeks, unable to keep a tough face. He sobbed and sobbed to no end, grabbing the ground to the point that blood began seeping out of his fingernails and soiled the ground. "...It bothers me. OF COURSE IT BOTHERS ME! I envy the dead! All of my life, I've been tortured, mutilated, beaten, yelled at, insulted, bullied, and isolated for more than I can remember! What's normality? What's happiness? What's grace? What's honor? What's pride? Well I'll tell you...all of it is FUCKING dead! What was I doing all that time? I didn’t aim to be some sort of powerful shinobi or knight with god gigachad powers that has the ability to bend the world under their fingertips! I didn't want to be a monster that butchers millions for fun! I just wanted to be part of a family! Get an actual mom, get an actual dad like you, have some friends, hang out with them, and live with Misaki! I just wanted a normal life! But because of this curse, because of how I was born because my parents were bandits from some sort of terrorist organization, I get treated as some absolute evil???!!! That's ridiculous! People in the Haven Country always talk about God and how he's so forgiving and kind, but they never follow the teachings they preach! What happened to hate the sin, not the sinner? What happened to loving everyone regardless of circumstance? This so-called epistemological system of brainwashing is called religion...nothing but bullshit! Because of their blatant hypocrisy, I was forced to be mercilessly tortured for more than a decade by those sanctimonious bastards; can you believe that some of them are arrogant enough to call themselves PRIESTS?! Aaaa...well it fits them, priests are nothing more than pseudoscientific fuckwits anyway! This world's unfair! Instead of making my parents pay for their crimes, I - some random kid who wanted to know what happiness was - I'm forced to carry on their sin and be the scapegoat for all of humanity's problems?! Why am I forced to shoulder this burden?! WHY DO I HAVE TO SUFFER SO MUCH FOR THIS WORLD TO BE SATISFIED?! I hate this! I hate this curse! I hate this skin! I hate this forgery of a name! I hate MYSELF! I'd rather just not be born if this is what is life has to offer. I just...want to die...and end this pathetic life. ...Why...me..."

His words, his speech, his rant - all of it showed the ugly side of Enishi as snot ran down his nose. He cried in his words, stumbling over them multiple times and Suguru watched on without a single word, as if he was restraining himself so that the understudy could get everything out of his chest.

But suddenly, Enishi stood up.

And he smiled, resembling the very thing he didn't want to be.

"Aaaaaa, that's exactly right. I've been trying to act fair and kind...in a world that's not so compassionate... This is a Dog-eat-dog world, and I'm tired of being eaten. If I have to be a monster, to grow accustomed to such a pain, then so be it." Suguru, confused by the sudden change in Enishi's tone...finally spoke. "Enishi, you can't blame yourself for what others have said you were...I know I wasn't there, and I know how painful it was, to suffer and be physically and verbally tortured for all of your life. But even still, there is a still a road - a road of hope waiting for you!"

"...Hope? You mean the lie that's fed to children so they can shut up? Father, I don't want to live anymore... If hope hasn't come in my years of suffering and purgatory, then why would it come now? Fate is cruel, and if God exists, he's simply a demon in the clothing of an angel. The world doesn't care about fairness, kindness, and virtue - but rather enjoyment, competition, brutality, and domination." A pained smile came on Enishi's face, and Suguru looked on. "You still have time, my son. Yet, be careful on which road you take. The road you're going on now...it's just like your biological parents. C'mon, you're not some sort of defect from the White Room! You're Enishi Kurosawa, my son who will be my successor and lead Hoshigakure to the Golden Age! So please, don't go down this road." Suguru said in irritation, knowing how much pain this will cause his son in the end.

Nevertheless, Enishi rose his hands in a scarecrow formation, towards the sky in a crazed manner.



Enishi took a deep breath, reminiscing over the time where he crafted his ideology, and in a twisted manner - his Ninja Way. It was disgusting, raw, guttural, and unsightly...but when did monsters have such pretty ideologies? That flashback played in his head as he saw Zeo - the boy he challenged to a duel of fates in the Training Grounds; yes, for a moment, his soul wavered as he saw his friend approaching from the other side of the arena. But, after remembering once again his promise to himself...his eyes narrowed like a hawk.

Zeo was not a friend at this moment, he was an obstacle - no - a rival that was in his way.

The Kamigawa scion stopped 15m away from the understudy (remember, the river itself was 5m in size and both were 5m away from it equalling 15m in distance away from each other), once again, they were divided by the river-like creek that separated them. Zeo most likely thought of Enishi as some sort of loquacious arrogant guy who took pride in his skills as a shinobi...heh, that could be the least true when studying the inner depths of Enishi Kurosawa. The auburn-haired Chuunin had no self-worth nor self-value; the reason he was so ready to call himself a monster and demon most of the time was for the mere fact that had no pride in himself. What would he even take pride in? His bloodline? The curse that he hated for all of those years that accidentally killed people he loved? Enishi was simply a broken kid who desperately desired death, however, life wouldn't afford him such an opportunity, so he decided that he would laugh at those who cursed his life and become the very thing they hated him for as a final form of spite. He was a broken sword, a puppet without any strings, a tool with no practical use. 

Zeo asked him to not hold back - as he would do the same in equal respect. Suddenly, the Kamigawa's eyes would sparkle black in a starry-eyed aura...slightly putting the understudy on edge due to the events of the Chuunin Exams, but he wouldn't lose frame at this moment. His expression was impassive...almost unconcerned at the change of events. Then, the Kamigawa asked a single word, whether he was ready or not while forming the seal of confrontation.

Responding to that, the understudy would simply enter a casual guarding stance with his left hand raised to form the seal of confrontation in respect to his comrade. Essentially, the Jugo would simply pivot his body sideways towards the Kamigawa. His left foot in front and pointing forward while his right foot was in the back, both shoulders width apart for decent stability. His stance seemed pretty casual at first, but it was actually a pretty good stance for the beginning of battles. It had a sense of unpredictability so his first techniques would be rather unforeseeable. Instead of an impassive expression, Enishi's face was now serious - sharper than iron.

"Yep."

WC: 2110
TWC: 3136

Gang Shit:

Zeo's eyes could see now-- see the sheens of energy that laced the entire battlefield. Bits of grass and water shimmered with the same spiritual energy he saw before-- outlining the world with his clarity. Standing out most was Enishi. As Zeo looked upon him-- he saw it, that bright earthly glow of nature and eagerness-- however as it went inward to his form, it grew orange, showing a turmoil of pride, resentment and pain that ate at him. Most disturbing of all however, that Zeo feared-- was at the very core. A pitch black-green epicenter that seemed to appear like a 'rot' or corruption inside him. Whatever itt was, Zeo instinctively knew it as the turmoil that had taken root in Enishi. The pain and anguish that stemmed from how people treated him and his 'desire' to become the monster people treated him as.

Pain showed on Zeo's face for a moment, angry that Enishi suffered so much, but that if nothing would be done-- he would become the monster people treated him as. Zeo couldn't let that happen. Rival or not, he was his friend and he couldn't let his friend fall into such despair and self-loathing he would throw away everything. As a shinobi and a human being. He didn't deserve such a fate then or now.

The two held up their confrontation signs, a show of respect as shinobi prepared for battle. A brisk breeze swept through the marsh as the wind blew past them, kicking up leaves and streaks of glass through its gale. The two kept their eyes locked on one another, the air thick with their determination and tension. Finally, a stray leaf found its way to the river that separated them. It softly wafted in the air, before it finally dropped and was pulled down the current towards the lake.

In that instant, Zeo removed his hand and formed hand signs, one-handed, from under the cover of his kimono's sleeve. Three sharp signs, before he merely drew his bubble pipe from the other! He brought it up and immediately blew out a single bubble that propelled forward! Whether Enishi would counter it with an attack, or it would reach the middle space 10 meters out-- the bubble would erupt with a foamy, bubble-filled eruption that caused the very creek before them to overflow with more bubbles.


Zeo's foamy vengeance would cause a pure white-out as effective as any smoke-bomb, causing bubbles to fly everywhere. No doubt it would confuse Enishi to obscure his view of Zeo, as being in the wide-open space would cause more problems for him.

Zeo took a one-meter jump back and he made another hand sign-- ending with a 'spirit gun sign all one-handed and pointed it to his own head. A shocking thing to do-- but intensional as it was Zeo drawing upon his Uchugan power-- conjuring the might of the spirit within himself. "Persona!!" Zeo cried, 'firing' the gun and a shattering sound echoed-- his eyes widened as the stream of starry chakra came from the corners of his eyes.


That same starry chakra emerged before him, adding another layer of obscurity as it consumed the space-- and from it emerged the same deity of water. Water coiled around its midsection, married with bits of the same starry chakra through its body as it led up to the robed elemental deity with the claws of a dragon, scroll on his back-- and the face of a middle-aged man with bright eyes. He Bo had re-emerged.

He Bo charged forward, using the watery forces of bubbles, and river to cross the distance fast towards Enishi-- before extending his arm out-- creating a powerful mass of water before him. From the very creek-- the waters rose up, adding to its mass, and released a spiraling shot of water at Enishi.

Zeo didn't hesitate to start with the big guns as he busted out his Persona, now able to draw it out at will for the most part as he now accepted his new power. Still, while starting off big, Zeo was just getting started. He promised to hold nothing back, and so he kept true to his word as now He Bo was the strength of Zeo's soul made tangible.

WC: 724

Actions: 1052/ 1121 AP  Total -- Paid upkeep for Uchugan
Used Wild Bubble Wave in bubble form to burst, causing a massive white out of bubbles 10 meters out, radius area of 10 meters to block Enishi's vision and surprise him with foamy vengeance!  20 > 15 AP cost from 25% chakra discount. Power-Speed: 75

While gaining more distance, Zeo conjures his "Persona" Rank A-- He Bo-- Element Suiton, to attack Enishi. He Bo charges towards 10 meters and through a squall of bubbles to release a torrent of water using the river as well as a tool. 45 > 34 AP from 25% discount via chakra. Power/Speed/Health : 90

The two rivals stood across from each other, eyes piercing through the very depths of each other's souls. Enishi knew that one day - eventually, no, it was as if it was fated that they were to fight someday. That was why the fact that Zeo raised his seal of confrontation and urged the understudy who wore the mask of an Oni on the side of his head for a rematch, the auburn-haired Chuunin did not hesitate nor did he freeze up. He knew that this day would come...and that was why...he would face his friend with all that he had! No excuses! No running away! Only resolve and will would create a winner! Enishi wouldn't turn back; there was no more room to turn back. The moment he picked up his blade...was the moment he resolved himself for this battle.

A stray leaf fell to the ground.

And it burst.

The Jugo bore witness to the Kamigawa withdrawing his signature pipe and releasing a single bubble from it. "Only one?" The Jugo pondered for a moment - rather perplexed, believing that Zeo would have used his Soap Bubble Technique which would have launched at least an assortment of bubbles...but this time, he only launched one. Odd; and a detail that he couldn't possibly ignore. Instantly, as Zeo released his bubble, a fragment of his Ninja Sealing Bands on his right forearm would unravel, dropping three Legacy Kunai to appear in his right hand. The understudy would quickly grasp the three of them in his right hand, webbing it through the space between his fingers; to an observer, it just looked like kunai fell through his sleeve to be gripped through his hands. Each Kunai had a tag on it; two of the Kunais had a Proximity Explosive Tag attached to them and the last one had a Flash Paper tag attached. At the same time, his left hand would form four handseals quickly. 

All the while this was happening, the understudy would waste no time before displacing himself, dashing three meters to the left so he could gain some distance from the bubble. By that time, however, Zeo would have already finished jumping back...and right as the bubble was about to burst, Enishi saw something...

A god.

"So you finally came back..." Enishi spoke as the bubble began expanding into a radial foamy wave meant to offset his senses as well as when He-Bo began to charge towards him, charging up a blast of water towards the understudy. "Allow me to kill you again, olllllddddd MAAAAAAAAN!!!" A guttural yell, full of excitement and a hint of bloodlust erupted from Enishi, extending his free left hand towards the bubble wave and the blast of water emerging from He-Bo. Suddenly, a barrier wall made of a seal formula erupted a meter in front of the Sage, 5 meters wide and tall as it acted as a great defense to protect the understudy from the onslaughts of attacks Zeo launched at him. The bubble wave would soon impact the barrier...before it was utterly obliterated by the defense, as Enishi was able to see in front of him again; He-Bo's water blast was narrowly blocked as well, but the Persona itself wouldn't be destroyed. Hell, only about 5 or so meters and a barrier a meter in front of Enishi separated the understudy from the Persona as it was on the edge of the river after it launched its blast of water.

Well, the understudy had to see what Zeo had next, ready to react to anything - though, depending on how it went, he would actually betray his way of fighting and go on the offensive if need be.

WC: 611
TWC: 3747

Gang Shit:

Zeo could see that Enishi had completely reworked his previous skills. He knew he picked up the ability to wield powerful weapons, but more than that-- he also learned how to use seals?! That was a surprise when he used them to absorb both Zeo's bubble wave as well as He Bo's water burst. However, Zeo's keep prowess of observations were more than he needed to beat him. He saw as He Bo's first water attack was absorbed-- but all Zeo saw was an opening to trick the understudy. Standing at the max distance, Zeo still created some bubbles around him-- just in case, but not before forming hand seals. With starry eyes focused on the unmistakable chakra of Enishi-- despite He Bo's assault, Zeo formed the signs for his next jutsu to make He Bo stronger...

"Raiton!" Zeo roared, finishing the last hand seal and arched his arm back. "Thunderclap Arrow!! " With lightning crackling off his limb, he 'threw' the bolt forward.

At that time, He Bo released yet another water attack. This time he arched his arms wide, casting another powerful wave for Enishi to confront-- or absorb. Big mistake however. The Thunderclap Arrow made contact with He Bo's watery assault, electrifying the mass of water as it would make contact. Zeo knew there would be a limit to how much Enishi could absorb with any barrier, much like his own. Zeo would grin-- and he had Enishi to thank for teaching him how to use Raiton too.

In the meantime, Zeo already had his next jutsu ready. In the event that Enishi would try to close the gap and attack him, he already had another surprise ready for the understudy. With his mystic eyes locked on Enishi and his motions, he was not about to give him any openings to catch him unaware. In the space between them now, bubbles and butterflies began to mingle in the space around Zeo, showing his prowess at the mystic arts starting to take form...

WC: 336
Actions:
Actions: 970/ 1121 AP  Total -- Paid upkeep for Uchugan

Bubble wave is absorbed and so is first attack. However, He Bo presses his attack by launching another watery wave at 90 power--- however, Zeo takes action using hand signs to form his next jutsu from the 20 meter threshold. First Jutsu-- Thunderclap Arrow -B Rank  , used in combination to He Bo's Water attack! Collaboration effect triggered-- 90+ 30 Power --120 Power. AP cost: 30>23 Ap . Throw Range 22+ meters.

Prepared and cast at same time Butterfly Effect C rank -- range 20, Power/Speed : 70 Chakra base.  Air starts to show signs of blue butterflies lingering around Zeo... AP: 20> 15

"Persona" Rank A-- He Bo-- Element Suiton, duration 2.

The hawk-like eyes of the understudy observed the area surrounding him. At this point, Zeo was 14 meters away from him. That Persona of his stood just 5 meters in front of the understudy. He-Bo stood at the edge of the river, drawing from the power of the creek so that he could utilize the water source to its fullest without any sort of relent. The Persona acted as some sort of wall that Enishi had to bypass through some sort of method...Zeo was using one of his ace techniques already...so, the Sage of Pleiades supposed that he wouldn't hold back since it was merely the beginning of the fight. Before his eyes, he saw that Zeo was charging up some sort of bolt of lightning - shit; Enishi knew that technique, it was the Thunderclap Arrow, which could be used to increase the potency of other Water Techniques. He-Bo utilized Water Release, which meant if that water blast and lightning were combined...yep, Rainbow Fort Seal would be destroyed instantly. 

Sweat trickled down to his chin. Why did he teach Zeo Lightning Release?

In a mere instant, the blast of water and arrow of piercing lightning combined, creating an electrical surge with Water Release as its base. Immediately, He-Bo would launch the mass of combined chakra within the five-meter gap, agglomerating in a spiraling torrent with sparks of electricity. The understudy grit his teeth, he knew his Rainbow Fort Seal wouldn't be enough to withstand the blast...so within the gap, his free left hand formed three handseals, coating Nise in a burst of green Earth Chakra; even if the blast used Lightning Release for added effect, the jutsu was still at its core, Water Release. Thunderclap Arrow only gave the power of lightning, not the actual effects of Lightning. After he formed the hand seals, the Sage would bend his left and right arm in a guarding position, while quietly whistling to himself five times which substituted five handseals - sounding like a meditative mantra if anything. Coated in an aura of green, he would brace himself - seeing the water now burst through the Rainbow Fort Seal like glass, shattering shards of rainbow chakra around. 

But even still, Enishi remained steadfast.

"Ghk!" Enishi grit his teeth as he finished whistling. One meter. One foot. One inch. He would endure all of it; Nise, the aura of green, and the block he used to mitigate damage, he would take it all, and throw it back in Zeo's face! 

BURST!

The water exploded, creating a natural mist of water and sparks of electricity five meters in radius centered on Enishi; blocking Zeo, and He-Bo's sight. It would be most likely to assume that Enishi was dealt a lot of damage with the information given...but, Enishi was completely unharmed. His skin armor, the earth aura, and his block was enough to defend against the water blast. And suddenly...

"Grand! ...Chariot!"

Resembling the roar of a winged beast, a burst of indigo erupted from the mist, replacing the color of green around Enishi, awash with an aura of purple surrounding him. His stats were being multiplied, multiplied, multiplied, and multiplied over and over like some sort of exponential growth. This was the technique activated from his whistling...but damn did it hurt like hell, it put a lot of strain on Enishi to use it. If some sort of chakra detector looked at him, heh, it would definitely read something like "Endless Nine", as in, the number of nines would be too much to see. Zeo and He-Bo would be confused since they would think he would have gotten hit by the water blast, but no, Enishi would take that moment of confusion to his advantage. Unsheathing his Tanto with the sole use of his left hand, the sword would gleam a silvery-white aura around it, infused with Space-Time chakra, he would let out a howl, before swinging the blade at He-Bo, a wave of Space-Time energy - 3 meters wide, tall, and a single meter in depth - additionally coating it with the Earth Chakra in Discovery of an Incomplete Truth; the charged wave of chakra was a reality distorting wave of Earth Release. The wave cut through the transparent mist, immediately destroying the veil and allowing Zeo and He-Bo to see what was occurring. The distance between Enishi and He-Bo was 5 meters; there was no way for the Persona to dodge given the speed of the wave and size of He-Bo.

Once He-Bo was destroyed, the wave would continue on to Zeo at blistering speeds; if Zeo was struck by the blade then the area he was struck in would suffer necrosis, making it a very annoying injury to deal with. Though, Enishi viewed some butterflies in the surroundings, he would have to pay attention to them.

Kunais in left hand and sword in right, the understudy would watch how everything would unfold; his eyes would be merciless and undaunting similar to how a soldier in war looked at their enemies. Zeo wanted a rematch, he would give it to him, and crush any sort of naive hope he had of winning. In this world, winning was everything.

The Dread Knight chuckled.

WC: 841
TWC: 4588

Gang Shit + OOC Reasoning:

Zeo felt confident in his strategy. It would of otherwise work and did for a moment. It wouldn't win him the fight but it would push and force out any tricks Enishi needed. While Zeo rarely went all out on an opponent this early, Enishi knew his moves. There was little point to hold back his Persona now. While costly in Chakra, he was prepared to pay for it and possessed far more than most. Zeo felt assured when he saw the super-charged water blast shatter his barrier, but only to be shocked as a new power literally erupted from Enishi's location.

The shockwave rippled through the air causing the wind to gust, and Zeo gazed forward against the wind. He Bo remained emotionless-- unafraid of any fate to befall him. He was as calm and stoic as Zeo would be at times, though hard to say if he had a personality, unlike other summonses. Zeo finaly saw it-- the sudden rise in his chakra. What was once a fire, now was a blazing inferno by comparison. The green and orange aura of Enishi had surged and now was ten times larger than before! It reached well over 10 feet tall, while just his chakra alone showed how strong his power had become. Zeo's star filled eyes continued to watch him and his movements, despite the shroud of mist and debris. "Here it comes..." Zeo murmured to himself, knowing that Enishi was finally about to go on the offensive.

In his hyper charged state, Enishi slashed his sword. The shockwave alone, via the technique he used, tore through the air and He Bo-- was sadly struck full force of it. The persona was torn apart, and soon reduced back to water, chakra and starry energy that dissipated into the air. It didn't matter though as the water god accept his demise and returned silently--- back to the depths of Zeo's soul... However, the blade continued on towards Zeo intending to hit him.

Starry eyes aglow and focused dead ahead-- Zeo didn't move. From Enishi's view point, he remained motionless as the blade came, a stray butterfly scared off with the gale as it came right towards him. Regardless, Zeo didn't hesitate, or flinch. He stood calm as the slice came.  

SLASH!!


In the instant, the blade would have made contact-- the blue color that showed Zeo instantly flickered apart-- as if he was never there. In its place, a few stray blue butterflies few out from where he once stood. Teleportation? illusion? A clone? There was no way for Enishi to tell... for he fell into Zeo's trap. While He Bo kept him busy, Zeo used another jutsu at the same time should his first assault fail. No matter how strong Enishi was... he was vulnerable to a few key facts. One of them was a very poor mental constitution. He didn't have the perspective or alertness to tell when he was in the thralls of one of the scarier tricks of a shinobi.

Genjutsu. Zeo's more favored tactic. Had Zeo employed his stronger Genjutsu tricks in the chunin exams, the results would of ended very, very differently.

"I'm over here," Zeo called out from Enishi's right.

Zeo now 'appeared' to stand 15 meters away from Enishi on his right side, now standing upon the creek. His eyes stared calmly at Enishi. It was then more blue butterflies began to flutter around the battlefield, becoming far more noticable. Unbeknownst to either of them, the blue butterfly was a symbol of rebirth, spirituality, and change-- and the crucial element that embodied every Persona User in the multiverse. A manifestation of their dormant potential.

The reality was, this Genjutsu was warping Enishi's sense of direction and perception. Spacial relationships were all screwed up due to the butterflies in the vicinity, and Zeo could easily move around with it. Further, the toll of the genjutsu would start to exhaust Enishi, slowly but surely from the inside out. Zoe didn't have to damage him directly to win. If one couldn't attack head-on, they would attempt another angle to reach their target...

Zeo let out a deep breath as he soon drew his bubble pipe forward, and blew out another series of bubbles-- now the air filling with both bubbles and butterflies. He gave an elegant spin/ dance, casting bubbles into the air around the creek, and spreading outward further through the battlefield for the desired effect. Between all the objects floating around, it would only disorientate Enishi more, and soon he would be in far bigger trouble as the genjutsu would take a toll on his psyche. Even with He Bo gone, Zeo's power lost none of its potency...

WC: 794
Actions: 923/ 1121 AP  Total -- Paid upkeep for Uchugan

Persona destroyed. Entering cooldown -- 1/4 posts.

Zeo dodges via the use of Genjutsu Butterfly Effect C rank-- causing distortion of ENishi's perceptive of space and direction. Also causes AP drain on Enishi. Upkeep: 10> 7 25% discount

Zeo casts now via bubble pipe-- Bubble Clone Jutsu A Rank AP: 40 > 30 25% discount. Under the illusion and confusion of genjutsu butterflies and bubbles, Zeo creates them to further add decoys to the mix but unseen just yet.

Clones will be spaced 5 meters apart in many directions, littering the battlefield around Enishi in all directions whenever he is able to notice. Furthest one is 30 meters away from him.  However, clones not 'revealed' yet.

It appeared that Enishi's first offensive move was enough to destroy the specter of spirits standing before him with the swift slash wave of his Tanto. "Illusions to illusions. A spirit that roams the earth will forever be a mere fantasy," A single respite appeared in Enishi's mind, giving respect to He-Bo as the sword wave sliced through his spiritual presence, scattering it into nothingness. Yet, the sword wave was still ravenous for more carnage - for more spirits to slice through, and its next destination would be Zeo Kamigawa. Surprisingly, Zeo didn't move at all which set some alarms in Enishi's mind. What game was he playing? What was he planning to do next? What tricks were up his sleeve? That was the thought process one needed to have to face and counter Zeo Kamigawa - a shinobi of twists and turns where strategy and intelligence reign supreme in his domain. The wave neared the body, and once it met skin...suddenly, Zeo disappeared in a flash of blue. "!" Enishi immediately sheathed his Tanto, allowing his right hand to be free once again while his left hand still held the three Kunai that he had yet to unleash. Was it teleportation? Body Flicker? High-speed movement? The understudy didn't know the exact reasoning why Zeo suddenly teleported out of nowhere. But! He knew this,

He fell into Zeo's trap.

"I'm over here,"

The Sage's head immediately snapped to his right, the right housing a large lake that covered the second half of the Dueling Arena entirely but standing on the lake 15 meters to the right of Enishi would be...Zeo, blowing an assortment of bubbles during the Sage's perplexion. The understudy grit his teeth; he couldn't say that the change of Zeo's position was a direct effect of Genjutsu since there was the possibility that Zeo learned Space-Time techniques over the months so he would be wasting chakra trying to break out of it. Enishi either had to believe that Zeo's disappearance was a reality...or this was mere fantasy. Fantasy or reality? Reality or fantasy? To release or not to release? Regardless of whether this was a Genjutsu, teleportation, or high-speed movement - Enishi still had to move. So he would begin his strategy; a strategy so cutthroat and grotesque, a strategy that twisted logic, rationality, and reasoning, and also a strategy that could defeat Zeo.

It was a strategy that only Enishi could pull off.

Tiger, Boar, and Snake were the handseals formed with the sole use of his free right hand; quickly tapping that hand on the ground right after that, earth from the ground would rise up in a spherical dome, protecting him in all directions - specifically, it was a three-meter sphere surrounding him. This seemed to be a simple defensive technique...but hopefully, Zeo would realize that having a barrier that blocks one's vision effectively blocks a visual Genjutsu from working properly. Evidently, a visual Genjutsu - while still being able to exhaust the chakra of someone, cannot work if that person cannot see. The shelter of earth that Enishi formed blocked off all forms of light, meaning that Zeo's Genjutsu would cease to be effective.

At the same time, the Sage of Pleiades began whistling while he formed handseals for the earth barrier - showcasing to Zeo that he was able to substitute hand seals with just whistling. As the shelter of Earth rose above him, protecting him to three meters in all directions, rain - 50 meters in all directions, would begin to drop from the sky. It was a torrential downpour that would surely drench Zeo in its coldness, unrelenting in its deluge. Little did the Kamigawa know however, that the rain was infused with Enishi's chakra, meaning that try all he might, he couldn't use the rain as a water source; the rain was a hindrance if anything, since it merely flooded the area with water that only the understudy would use.

Enishi would not be drenched at all from the rain as he stood in the middle of his earth sphere; while he couldn't see anything, he would still have his Chakra Sensory activated to sense anything within 5 meters of his position as a substitute to vision. With that, he'd also deactivate Grand Chariot since it was more painful if anything to keep activated. Keeping track of anything through his other senses and his Chakra Sensory, Enishi would make sure to react accordingly.

"Sorry Zeo, but I have already won."

WC: 742
TWC: 5330

Gang Shit:

Zeo had laid out the groundwork for his jutsu-- but then the enemy did something rather unexpected. He hid. As the last of the butterflies would flutter in the air... Enishi withdrew and conjured a dome of earth to protect himself. A perfect sphere that protected him from all sides. Even so, it was an odd choice since he had powered up. Zeo's eyes narrowed on the barrier as the last of his butterflies had disappeared-- the Genjutsu reaching its end.

Zeo focused on him and even from behind that dome-- Zeo still saw Enishi clear as day. His Uchugan spotted his chakra-- or rather the mass that represented his soul, with so many oranges and greens that it was hard to miss. He kept in there, to keep out of sight. Had it been a simple wall, Zeo would have gotten over it, but Enishi was either clever or paranoid. It didn't just block attacks, but it kept his sense of sight and sound isolated. So he couldn't use any more genjutsu on him till he was out of the earth shell.

It was then that it started to rain, which came out of nowhere on a rather clear day. However, the rain had a very odd hue to it. Mildly surprised, Zeo looked up and raised a hand-- the rain looked like normal rain, but the very drops had bits of orange in their color-- remnants of Enishi's chakra.

So that's your plan. Either he is overly cautious or very clever. Zeo thought as he looked back to Enishi from behind his shield. Despite how he hid, he couldn't escape his Uchugan's visual prowess. The chakra vision alone allowed Zeo insight into his foe far better than most. Must more so, Zeo remembered their first clash and how Enishi had used water spears from nowhere to skewer him and He Bo in one move. He got out just by luck. Your surrounding me with all sides with water only you can control, and protecting yourself in a dome so you can attack from the safety inside it. He may be smarter than I gave him credit for," Zeo thought as he raised a hand and bit the tip of his thumb.

He formed a series of hand signs, his mind made up to change the rules of this fight. He was not about to allow Enishi a home-field advantage, let alone trap him from all sides like that time. "I'll make that fortress of yours your mosolium! " Zeo declared as he knelt down hard and slapped a hand on the river's surface he stood on. "SUMMONING JUTSU!!"

WHOOOSH!!

From where he touched, water swelled up and natural water came out like a guiser! It easily spread outward, reaching far and wide , easily eclipsing over Enishi's area and the simple places where the rain was making puddles in the ground. The amount of Water Zeo generated was far superior and came from below the rain's area of influence. A simple jutsu but effective as it evened the odds for Zeo as it did for Enishi-- but far more, put Enishi into a fair bit of trouble. The flood of water easily rose up and flooded the entire grasslands-- creating a mass of water like a huge lake-- reaching 30 meters in diameter. Enishi's shield was well within it as the waters rose and swallowed it up, now completely underwater. If the dome was air-tight, Enishi might not notice. If he had sensory of any kind attached to his rain, he would discover the momentum of his rain would stop 15 meters high-- but most of all if his dome wasn't airtight, regardless of how sturdy it was, water would start to leak into the dome... telling him how much water was inside. He wouldn't be safe in there for long. Trapped inside his own barrier, he would drown if he didn't act smart. He would be a sitting duck in there and with Zeo's eyes, he could track his movements.

With his watery terrain now in play, Zeo now could act as he and his clones in the area surrounding the dome, anticipating Enishi's next move.

As Zeo observed him, he had to choose his next move carefully. He knew a way to bust down that wall, but in the depths of his mind-- he knew that was a mistake. Powered up as Enishi was, it was unwise to challenge that jutsu's defense. Plus, he had the intuition to know Enishi WANTED him to attack full strength. He wasn't going to play into his hands that easily. Zeo was patient as he was strategic. Either way, he would imagine Enishi would start to sweat being both blind to Zeo's doing and realizing his dome was starting to leak water. Would he get out or risk drowning?

WC: 813
Actions: 880/ 1121 AP Total -- Paid upkeep for Uchugan
CLones: 2/4 posts. 7 Total

Zeo casts: Summoning Wandering Oasis B Rank-- 80 Power/SPeed. Range 30 diameter. Used to flood area 15 meters high and eclipse Enishi's shield, slowly drowning him out and evading effects of Rain Tiger at Will. Zeo and Clones now under water while Zeo keeps close eye on Enishi's chakra. AP: 30 > 23 from 25% discount