Face to Face (Open)

Subject: Face to Face (Open) Sat Apr 16, 2011 3:37 pm

With careful stealth and precision the shadows of 5 figures brushed through the forest being sure to keep their steps suppressed under the motion of their path. The day drew closer into the night and in time the shadows of the sun descending filled the forest with darkness. The five figures stopped upon reaching a large waterfall great in size and beauty, it was indeed the objective point of their mission, the location to the entrance of the Village Hidden in the waterfall. The five figures scouted the premise of the waterfall and once deemed as safe removed their hoods from their faces revealing the Hidden Cloud headbands that protected their foreheads. Five men all apparently Jonin level Shinobi (Possibly Anbu) stood and looked at each other with a nod of assurance that the area was indeed secure.
"Area has been infiltrated no sign of target...Proceed to escort." One of the ninja spoke as he removed his hand from his ear which most likely contained a radio device of some sort. If anything it was used to alert the rest of his team that were within range, The men all seemed to be on their guard as they knew the severity of the mission at hand. Once a response was given to ninja who was no doubt the squadron's leader, the five were quickly joined by numerous figures that zipped down to them from the trees. By the time all had gathered there were at least 50 Shinobi in the area, no doubt this was a hunting mission, and their target most likely was a ninja of a high caliber.

Among those many figures stood the leader of the Hidden Cloud Village himself, the mighty Raikage Shigeyasu Hatakeyama. His vast white hair and magnificent spiraling white rose petals around his body made him easily distinguishable among the others. His eyes were closed and face showed a calm demeanor as he allowed his men to converse amongst themselves about their target. The man they sought was also a ninja of high caliber like the Raikage himself, in fact he was also a village leader and one who was not favored much amongst the 5 Legendary Kages. They sought the Kazekage, Joichiro Shozuku who made his wish for confrontation known to the Raikage due to his actions that remained unspoken. Shigeyasu seemed to be in his own little world as the Ninja around him made every attempt to set up traps for anyone who might be tailing them. The only thing on Shigeyasu's mind was Joichiro, would he actually go through the trouble of doing what he did all to make the Raikage personally seek him out. Something about it didn't make sense, despite his Kage status he could not possibly think he would be able to fight against Shigeyasu and not provoke war and even if a fight was his desire did he think he could win? Shigeyasu felt a little uneasy at the thought and slowly opened his eyes slightly to have his sights set on the waterfall.

Was there something specific about this place? Was there something that he wanted to do? Having Shigeyasu meet him out here, did that have something to do with it? Shigeyasu found himself trying to depict what could be his motives could be, and as he stared longer at the waterfall it hit him. There was a strong chance that it had something to do with this area's history, and if so, Joichiro would be going to far to interfere with it. It had been understood the Takigakure was neutral in conflict and for good reason, their leader had been a powerful Shinobi who was known as a God in Taijutsu, a man who's prowess surpassed even Shigeyasu himself. Still it may have been just a hunch, but if this was correct, Shigeyasu would have no choice but to start war by killing the Kazekage due to his actions. It was not necessarily the most proud choice of action Shigeyasu could do, but it would need to be done to maintain neutrality in this region.
"Sir...The Kazekage is not here, our sensory shinobi have detected no other chakra sources but our own in this area..", Shigeyasu remained quiet and only nodded in response to the Shinobi's statement. It seemed as though training may have provoked this, but simply through that action the Shinobi walked away rallying everyone up as it would seem as though they would be departing from this area soon. It was just then that all their attention was focused to the forest behind them. The sound of explosions most likely set off by their traps began ringing through the forest, all the men went on their guard arming themselves for battle as the blasts drew near, Shigeyasu turned his sight to the heart of the explosions, however made no chance in stance almost as though he needed not to guard himself, instead he just waited for whatever was coming, to show itself.

Subject: Re: Face to Face (Open) Sat Apr 23, 2011 6:17 pm

The blasts commenced this time with even more proficiency in their destruction, such lot explosions followed by the descending of burnt trees seemed to have been a little more than what was prepared. Almost as though someone was in a battle the explosions seemed to coordinate themselves with each other however there was no heavy chakra to be felt within the forest. Numerous presences were in the area however like a passing wind, they all began to vanish with the moment as well as rise once more before vanishing again. A loud and maniacal wave of laughter began to ring through the area where the cloud ninja stood with their prestigious leader, someone -the voice of whose, seemed to be near that of the damned- was finding great amusement in the explosions and fading screams of surprise and fear the rang through the burning forest. The laughing was later followed with a loud round of applause as the figured revealed himself coming out from the forest however not in the direction that the shinobi were facing but rather behind the waterfall itself.

"Astounding...I never thought the they would clash so well.." The figure wielding this voice revealed himself, Joichiro Shozuku, the Kazekage of the land of wind. His attire, dressed far form that of the occasion as most of his normal clothing were curtained by a black robe with the hood pulled back showing his face. He slowly shrouded his hands inside of the robe as he made his way across the water one step at a time. It didn't take long but the young Kage was followed by a shinobi of his own trust also of a high ranking within his village (However the ranking was not known). The black bangs of Joichiro slightly covered the stare of satisfaction that his ghostly blue iris granted at the fact that Shigeyasu actually managed to come out. "You've done it even more effectively that I expected Shishimaru...Tell me how many were sacrificed?", The Shinobi who followed Joichiro smirked a little moving his headband from across his scarred eyes.
"Only a mere 40 men my lord...The rest retreated at the sound of the ambush..It was even easier since someone manged to set traps already, all I had to do was cross mine over with theirs.". Joichiro only shook his head with a chuckle at the sound of his underling's words, it mostly questioned the moral value that one man..rather one leader such as Joichiro would place in his village to assign numerous Shinobi to a mission all to have is 'Lapdog' get rid of them through an ambush.

"Well well well..The Lord of Roaring Thunder..So glad you could come.." Joichiro's sight shifted to the many men surrounding the Kage and smiled a devilish smile, "..I see that would also didn't waste time coming alone..Oh well.". Shishimaru stood still at the side of Joichiro with his arms crossed and a sick grin on his face almost as though he was an attack dog waiting for his master to sick him on the other Shinobi surrounding Shigeyasu. Joichiro closed his eyes and took a deep breath before beginning his words, "I know that you and I are two very busy people so I'll keep this brief and to the point...There is something you have in your village that I want."
"..And you'd do best not to deny Lord Shozuku." Shishimaru interrupted with a grin, he was quickly rendered speechless however once the eyes of Joichiro shifted to him briefly. "The Kirozuka..I want one, you see I am a man of noble intention..I wish for the revolution of mankind, the time when we are all united as one and because of this wish..I..Experiment, or rather pioneer to find solutions one of which is with Jutsu." Joichiro face lit up with a provoking grin as he continued, "Kirozuka possess a special ability one rarely found in the ninja world and so far the few that have...volunteered..showed little promise, however I know of a certain two that have a lot more promise than the rest and could actually bring me to my breakthrough..". Shishimaru nodded his head almost as though he could claim a sense of pride in this, due to his many visits secretly to the hidden Cloud under Joichiro's orders.

"My demands are simple and have been made...Deny me this and the consequence will be war.." Joichiro began pacing from side to side making sure to scout out all of the Shinobi present in the area, he then stopped turning his back to everyone but looking back at Shigeyasu. "Whether you cooperate or not..My research will be complete at the end of it all..So think wisely, about what's at risk...Your thoughts?", Joichiro ended his words with a sense of satisfaction, he had made his demand clear and also demonstrated his severity on the manner. Going as far as to directly declare war to the face of the Raikage was a feat few dared to take but Joichiro was in no panic. He was a man who enjoyed the fury of war, to him it presented numerous opportunities for capture and with capture comes experiements. Shishimaru was a lot like his leader in this sense, as he too loved the feeling of battle however it was very much unlike Joichiro to openly confront the Raikage about his plans. His fearless almost made him feel confident enough to take on Shigeyasu himself however he could sense the emotional distress that Joichiro's words must have placed on the Raikage, and because of this distress he was ready for anything.

Subject: Re: Face to Face (Open) Sun Apr 24, 2011 7:46 pm

The blasts that came from the forest indeed provoked caution in each of the Cloud ninja however the destruction of a forest was nothing in comparison to the man who appeared before them. Each of the Shinobi already knew who he was simply by his appearance and manner of behavior however none of them ever dreamed they would encounter him, the incarnate of fear. Quite a title for a man who most certainly lived up to the persona, His very presence made the legs of all the shinobi around him quiver almost as though he was a demon sent straight from hell. In an instant they all lost the pride they held as fighters of the Hidden Cloud and took the personalities of young children in fear looking towards someone for help. The only one among the ninja who seemed to not fear him was Shigeyasu, his stern look made sure to send the message that he meant business. When Joichiro -the noble leader by expectancy- of the Hidden Sand began speaking of the men he lost in the massive chain of explosions Shigeyasu's face slightly cringed. To think of a man who was trusted to lead, and hear that he would defy the trust of his loyal men, so much so as to send them into their own deaths like lab rats made Shigeyasu sick.

"Monster!..How dare he call himself a Kage!" one of the ninja shouted before Shigeyas extended his arm to quiet the ninja. He listened to the madness spewing from the mouth of Joichiro, and the more he heard the more he wished he had not had come to this place. He was given an invitation to come out and witness what? The deaths of innocent ninja? Naturally being that they were not of his village he could care less what they did, but they were people first and ninja second, at least in the eyes of Shigeyasu. The man who apparently took great pride in orchestrating the ambush of his own shinobi brethren was the one who got to Shigeyasu the most.

He's like a dog..Barking in pleasure to the will of his master..

Shigeyasu thought as he observed the motions of the Kage's lapdog, choosing to blank out most of what was being said about the fallen shinobi Shigeyasu contemplated on how he would love to take this man down. Perhaps a little fear into the fearless is what needs to be done in this situation, maybe if this Hand of Joichiro was put in a situation where the dog was going to be put down himself, would he be able to laugh then? Shigeyasu quickly dismissed these thoughts however as it was not his place nor like him to think in that manner over a mere commoner. When Joichiro began to explain to Shigeyasu that he had something that the Kazekage was interested in, all of the Cloud Ninja placed their hands over their weapons and braced themselves for combat.

I've heard it all before..Another direct demand..Does he think I even care?

Shigeyasu thought to himself as he closed his eyes scoffing and turning his head to the side in dismiss of what he was saying. There was nothing that this crazed murderer could tell Shigeyasu that would make him even take this ridiculous circumstance seriously. Shigeyasu had a great mind to just turn around and walk off in the middle of him speaking but once he spoke about experiments, it intrigued him briefly. Though the new found interest occurred it still was not great enough to make him actually feel the terms were even close to being worth negotiating, however one thing struck out to him.

"Kirozuka possess a special ability one rarely found in the ninja world and so far the few that have...volunteered..showed little promise, however I know of a certain two that have a lot more promise than the rest and could actually bring me to my breakthrough.."

When those words were spoken, all of the ninja with Shigeyasu were silent turning their heads to their leader. Was he stupid? To openly involve the family of the legendary Hatakeyama Leader, it had to be a joke or some miraculous display of bravery to the highest extent. Shigeyasu turned his head to Joichiro, his eyes still closed but his hands now to his sides with his fists tightly locked, sparks of electricity danced along the body of Shigeyasu as one of his men motioned to see if his lord was alright. It was at that moment the sound booming thunder struck the area and a blast of chakra released from Shigeyasu body cause a fierce gale to strike around him. The instant this occurred each of the shinobi knew what was going to happen and like a flock of lambs they scattered in the face of the upcoming wolf. Shigeyasu's body was not bathed in an aura of lightning that was coordinated with the flowing of white rose petals around his body. He moved his hand behind him placing it lightly on the hilt of his sword. When Joichiro made everything clear and asked for Shigeyasu's thoughts, he responded only with one word.

"War."

Shigeyasu in an instant vanished from where he stood blasting with full speed towards Joichiro ready for battle. His face now covered with rage and a passion for battle one that he had not showed since his youth, the Cloud ninja watched in amazement as they never dreamed they would live to see what was about to occur..Kage leveled combat. Their eyes were barely able to keep up but were graced with an everlasting memory of seeing their leader and noble lord literally sliding upon the winds as though it were ice itself. His path led him directly towards Joichiro, his body remained stationary save his hand, that once properly gripped, released the sword from it's scabbard. Shigeyasu's blade held a magnificent pattern that was glazed with his chakra, the chakra was heavy and would cause devastating damage to whatsoever it impacted with. The chakra was also traced by lighting sparks that did nothing but grant power to impact while still displaying a sense of elegance only capable of being shown by one of his lineage. Shigeyasu, who quickly closed the gap in space between himself and Joichiro sent a horizontal swipe aiming right for the neck of Joichiro. An attack like this was very direct and displayed his motive to kill as he wished to behead this tyrant and wave his blood upon his sword as he returned home to Kumogakure.

Subject: Re: Face to Face (Open) Mon Apr 25, 2011 7:48 pm

Shishimaru instantly stepped back in defense at the sudden burst of chakra that released from Shigeyasu, it was frightening as he had never felt such a pressure coming from one man. The energies influencing the area so heavily that the winds themselves began to show their fear towards the awesome power. It became hard for Shishimaru to see, but from what he was able to grasp electrical pressure of a near God-like magnitude began to surround the Raikage. Strangely enough the rose petals that normally floated so calmly around him showed their rage by moving in violent patterns. Could this have been the legendary Ninjutsu of the Raikage? No it seemed like it but it was merely a display on his true chakra pressure. Shishimaru looked over a Joichiro who now completely turned to face the Raikage, he removed his robe as he already could tell where this was going. Joichiro could not help but smile looking into the face of pure power as it was rare that one would be able to witness this level of chakra.

"Now look at that he already-Huh?!" Joichiro stopped as his eyes widened, it seemed unreal for a second but if he did not know any better he would have swore the Raikage had vanished before his eyes. Truly a work of skill, the kind of speed only shown by Shigeyasu, Joichiro knew that he had to take this at least a bit seriously as even the slightest slip up could cost him dearly. Barely managing to grasp sight of him, he noticed Shigeyasu's movement patterns, it was strange and unlike anything he had faced before. Was he actually moving so fast that he appeared to be flying? Or was it some kind of jutsu? Whatever it was Joichiro braced himself with a kunai ready for close quarter combat. But as fate would have it, Shigeyasu's speed proved much too great for a fighter even of Joichiro's level and thus, only barely managing to raise the Kunai high enough, he blocked the strike of Shigeyasu to his neck. The lightning pulse given from the chakra coated blade however was fierce and overwhelming at the time, Joichiro underestimated exactly how much chakra was placed into the weapon and because of his miscalculation he was forced back and eventually tossed across the lake once his kunai shattered. Shishimaru was starstruck as he had never seen anyone best Joichiro to this degree, he slowly began to lose confidence as he witness Joichiro go tumbling backwards across the waters and slamming into the mountain next to the waterfall.

"Lord Joichiro!" Shishimaru yelled, looking in disbelief at what he saw. He wasn't able to grasp it or rather didn't want to grasp what happened. For a moment he contemplated the situation, he could have dodged it but was testing the strength? Or maybe it was that he couldn't dodge it and was severely caught off guard. His theories were suppressed once he heard a little weak but dark chuckle coming from the rubble of rocks. Joichiro who just barely pulled himself together wiped a trail of blood from his lips and dusted himself off.
"So thats it....The legendary Taijutsu of the Raikage...Magnificent..Ngh..I would have never thought that simple words would drive you to this point..But still..Time has handed you the far end of the stick..Your getting weaker..I shouldn't even be alive..Heh." As Joichiro staggered from the pule of damaged rocks to the base of the lake he spread his arms apart almost daring that Shigeyasu try another attack on him. His head dropped down so that his chin rested on his chest, his hair covered his eyes but his lips were still very much visible. Joichiro's body rattled a little at the psychotic laughter he released from his mouth as he slowly began to raise his head to look in the direction of Shigeyasu. Shishimaru dashed across the waters to aid his leader but hesitated to motion too close to him, he knew this side of Joichiro all too well, he wanted to get the best out of this battle and this was his way of doing so. "..Come to me..Raikage...Come.." He began as he placed his hands on his chest gripping his shirt tightly, "..Come and try to kill me!!...Your the Lord of Roaring Thunder! Haha..The mighty hero of the Cloud! And what was that huh?!..You call that an attack?" Joichiro tore his shirt revealing his pale chest which was scratched from the impact that he felt by the rocks. His close dark fingernails slid down the middle of his chest to the left side as a trail of blood was shown in that same manner. He rose his blood drawn fingers to his lips licking it slighty as he called out now with even more madness in his voice, "Come!..Right here..Come on, kill me!!..I'm practically giving a free shot..Haha..Hahahahaha!..If you don't, ooh..If you you don't hehe..Your wife, children, village, whatever! Ooh they'll regret your merciful decision."

"Lord Joichiro enough..This is not the time..We must retreat!" Shishimaru pleaded as he placed his hand on the shoulder of his leader standing in front of him. Joichiro lowered his head and began chuckling once more as he placed his hand over Shishimaru's, He lifted his head slightly looking up at his right hand man and smiled innocently. "Shishimaru..I always favored you most.." Joichiro's hand tightened it's grip on Shishimaru's, "My lord?.." he replied looking down at his hand, but before another word was said Joichiro's hand was filled with a burst of chakra and with one motion he jerked his body back tearing the arm right off from his shoulders. As the blood sprayed around the area and Shishimaru screamed in agony, Joichiro looked at the arm he tore. He listend a little more to the screams before swinging the arm at the head of Shishimaru snapping his neck because of the impact. As Shishimaru fell into the water dead, Joichiro slowly made his way across the waters his face now serious, he reach into his pocket as he pulled out a blade and smirked evilly looking at Shigeyasu then to his men.

"Now..No more games.." Joichiro leaped from the waters onto the same base of land as Shigeyasu, before looking at the blade in his hand he went down on one knee placing the dull side of the blade to the ground. He smirked and with his other hand made a hand seal as he then dragged the blade in a slow yet straight pattern causing a little noise which now because of his hand seal became a high pitched screech that send waves through the area not only in the direction of Shigeyasu but also his men. As the bone chilling noise commenced Joichiro spoke calmly in a dark tone, "Oto sakkaku 音錯覚". Activating only due to his words the technique would slowly begin to take effect on those subjected to it's sound casting them into a Genjutsu controlled by Joichiro. Though minor, this little technique would only be the base of Joichiro's games, at least for right now.

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Genjutsu In Progress (if Successful)

Now transported unknowingly to an abandoned Shinobi graveyard
the victims will find themselves encountering the spirits of great deceased Shinobi leaders and warriors
Tormenting them for their many life failures the half decayed corpses of fallen Shinobi will outnumber the victims attempting to kill them (though it isn't possible) while speaking of the past and possible events to come should Joichiro's dream come to pass.

Note: The dead that appear in illusion will never harm the victims only resist possible attacks and constantly act in violent motions to only drive fear to the opponent..The jutsu in no way effects the terms of real battle and will do no damage physically (Save the screech at the beginning) but may cause emotional trauma.

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Technique used

Spoiler:

» Along the Way..[Open]
» Another Day (Open)
» Fun on the beach (Open)
» The return of a "Man" (Open)
» Clan affairs (Open)