NarutoMUD

Sunlight beats down on the dusty trail, hard and unrelenting on the passers-by. A lanky young genin lopes with easy grace
along the road, albeit three feet from the ground. And on the picket fence. Ari stops in mid-stride to nod a greeting at
the jounin posted on the route, eyes flicking to scan the area.

Eisuke arrives quietly from the west, pausing for a moment to check his surroundings, looking for possible candidates who
could have stolen the dolly. Eisuke's face turns to a scowl, disliking the fact that his time is being wasted on such a
trivial task.

It's hard not to notice such a delightful expression on such a fine day - from Ari's point of view. Of course, it was hot
enough to fry eggs on the ground, but nary a sweat beaded the genin's brow. "Afternoon, genin. Don't suppose the good
weather's the foremost on your thoughts, hey?" .

Eisuke looks over towards Ari and sighs to himself, as he thinks, "As far as I can tell he doesn't have the dolly on his
person, and he doesn't look the type that would have taken it... And I suppose he wants a response... Such a waste of my
time..." he then looks away, scanning the surrounding area once more... "The weather? No... You presume I am a rank
Genin?".

Twin puffs of dust rises as sandaled feet hit the ground. Straightening up, Ari regarded the lad quizzically, head
slanted. "Unless you stole that shiny Time Protector that you've got hanging about your neck, genin you must be. Not many
Time jounin of such...tender age running about these paths." A slight shrug. .

Eisuke mouth curls into a 'Mona Lisa' smile barely noticeable as he looks back at Ari, eye to eye this time, his blank
white eyes, strangely piercing. "Maybe it just... Took my fancy...".

A slow blink. Reappraising eyes raked the white-haired youth again from head to reed-sandaled toe. Ari snorted. "Well
played, but no go. Someone that stole such an item would not be flaunting it in plain sight to another from Time, I'll
think. Though I must admit you must be one of the new batch the Hokage passed. Haven't seen the likes of you about town,
that I haven't.".

A cool breeze gently ruffles Eisuke's hair as he leans coolly against a large tree at the side of the path. "For a so
called 'ninja' you sure do make a lot of... One might say... Risky... Assumptions... Say I had jumped some rank Genin and
taken this... 'shiny' Time protector, say you were under the false impression that I was one of the 'new batch', a
shinobi should always be on their guard..." The leaves above rustle gently as the expression on Eisuke's face turns into
a slightly twisted smile as he runs his tongue slowly over his pale lips.

Ari shrugs noncommittally, a seemingly casual shifting of weight to better face Eisuke. "They've held me well thus far,
and it's too nice a day to fight - which I would have to do if your claim does prove true." An eyebrow raises. "But I do
not wish to battle just because I ran awry of a genin's foul mood. So let's start over again. I'm Heishi Ari.".

Eisuke 's twisted smile turns slowly into a rather evil grin. "A shinobi who does not like to fight... How quaint... I've
wasted enough time here... You obviously are not the person I seek." Eisuke then moves back toward the path and scans the
area to the north east.

Taking a step aside to allow Eisuke passage, Ari's arms crosses, palms lightly closed. "Seeking fights, are we?" He
grinned, continuing on, "A pacifist, I am not. Outside of a training field, I prefer picking fights with purpose - a slip
of the hand just that hair's breath lower..you never know when a quick-route to the hospital can get pretty handy." A
thoughtful expression flits across his features. "I prefer to see that as...not taking unwarranted risks.".

Eisuke 's eyes meet Ari's again, with that blank white, yet strangely piercing stare. "You sound awfully confident... One
might say that overconfidence is an unwarranted risk." Eisuke's eyes stay directly focussed on Ari's as he advances
towards the young man, his head tilting upwards slightly as he has to look further up at Ari as he gets closer to him,
their difference in heights becoming much more obvious, his eye's not breaking once from Ari's as he effortlessly steps
over the fence and dodges passers-by as he approaches. "One might also say, that underestimating your opponent, is taking
an unwarranted risk.".

Watching the genin's rapid approach levelly, the chatter drones on - Ari must be the type of chap that could talk the
ears off a corn, or maybe just in an unbelievably preppy mood today. "Of course, extra care need also to be taken when-"
Letting his gaze drop pointedly to the lad's reed clothing, shifting one armor-plated leg to a wider stance.
"-there might be an obvious difference in the expertise of two sparring figures." Ari smiles, so beatifically.

"Spar?" Eisuke lets out a laugh... "That really is quite fun..." Quite suddenly Eisuke's head jolts as his focus turns to
something behind Ari to the northeast and breaks off mid-sentence. "Hrmmm, he looks like a much more likely candidate...
If so... His death shall come quickly... I've wasted enough time here... This may just be your lucky day Heishi...."
Eisuke's face returns to it's blank void look as he turns to move past Ari and venture on towards the north east.

Ari called wryly after the departing figure. "Was nice meeting you too!".

Eisuke scowls invisibly as he thinks to himself, "That doesn't even warrant a response..." He then proceeds to ignore the
young man and depart to the north east to investigate.

A cool breeze rustles the grass quietly as the last visible hue of green fades to Grey as the sun finally disappears
behind the surrounding forest. "200..." Eisuke mutters, as he raises his body vertically from the ground, his arms
straightening as they push his body up, he then folds his left arm up behind his back, and spreads his legs a little
further apart, before lowering his body back inches from the ground, the muscles in his right arm bulging, as the new
strain on his body becomes aparrant. "1..."

"Not going back yet, lad? The forest can be a big, dark scary place at night, hmm?" A flash of white, before a grinning
youth melted from the shadows, a fallen branch crunching under sandaled feet. Ari bowed most theatrically. "So, we meet
again.".

Without looking up, Eisuke kicks his feet up into the air, pausing momentarily, his body perfectly straight, at a 90
degree angle from the ground in a one handed hand stand, before dropping back to his feet and standing upright. "I know
that voice..." He then turns slowly to face Ari. "You again... And what do you want? If you hadn't noticed I'm busy...
And I don't take lightly to being disturbed" Eisuke's left hand silently slips behind him and draws a kunai from from a
waist pouch.

Hand raised, unarmed. "Only joshing around, ol' chap. I'm certain these fields are big enough for two of us." Perfectly
serious, before a giveaway twitch at the corner of Ari's mouth. "That is, if we're not going through the whole
genin-who-is-not-a-genin rigmarole again."

Eisuke 's eyebrows narrow into a glare. "It would be unwise to get in my way." His grip tightens on his kunai knife as he
takes a step toward Ari. "I don't like you." He then brings moves him arm out in front of him, revealing the weapon as he
takes his stance. "You get on my nerves." he then moves his right hand to his belt and draws another kunai. "Maybe you
should leave...".

"Touchy touchy. You know, respecting your elders IS considered a virtue.", Ari commented, the leather holster a rhythmic
tapping on the material of his trousers as he circled the bristling genin, forcing Eisuke to turn, or risk exposing his
back to the pompous teen. "On the other hand, I could do with some exercise..".

Eisuke stands completely still as Ari passes behind him. "I warned you." and without warning and incredible speed
Eisuke's right hand moves straight up and over his left shoulder releasing the kunai he was holding, sending it hurtling
towards Ari's head.

Baiting Eisuke as he was, Ari seemed to be waiting for just the thing, head tilting aside smoothly as the kunai whizzes
harmlessly by. No breaking stride, the taller lad prowls in a lupine fashion, circle tightening. An infuriatingly
blissful grin lights up his face. "You know, 'I admit I'm a Time genin' is only five words long. Perhaps you could try
saying it.", he prodded.

Eisuke growls, as he spins around with furious intensity, launching the kunai in his left hand directly at Ari's head
once more, yet a split second later he launches himself towards Ari, his speed competing fiercely with the kunai knife he
followed, his left hand forming an open tiger claw as he does so aiming a punch at the teenager's stomach.

Ari actually laughed. It was a laugh that would be right at home in a darkened alleyway as the pale shadows of the
forest. It probably was in stark contrast to Ari's blissful expression of joy, to boot. Ducking low below the line of the
punch (and kunai, to boot), gravel spilling as he widened his stance. "But me, I hope you don't say it all that quickly.
So come on, make my day." A curled hand shot out towards Eisuke's fast-approaching torso.

Eisuke almost smiles for a split second as he moves his already outstretch hands to grab Ari's freshly presented hand
before launching himself in the air flipping over Ari's head, attempting to take his hand with him and throw him towards
a nearby tree.

Ari had to leave at this point - to be continued.

Catapulting head-over-heels, the figure of Ari made a very satisfying -splat- on
the gnarled bark of a tree. It changed to a not-as-satisfying poof, leaving a
forest-green backpack to slide to the ground. "Boo.", came a voice from behind
Eisuke in mid-air, hands drawn, palms flat and thrusting towards the other chap.

A rather loud slapping noise is emitted as Ari's hands connect firmly with
Eisuke's body, sending him forwards towards the ground he quickly outstretches
his arms, dropping himself into a standard push up potion, he slides his legs
backwards towards Ari, one leg moving in between his, he then pushes up from the
ground, launching his torso back into the air before twisting his entire body in
an attempt to trip the young man.

Unperturbed, Ari raises one foot, allowing Eisuke's leg to complete its swing.
Simultaneously, a flash of silver shines in the dim light, a kunai darting toward
s where Eisuke's second leg would come into contact with Ari. Bracing himself,
he attempts to swing towards his side and back, to put some distance between the
two.

Finding it nearly impossible to stop his body in mid-air the kunai slices through
Eisuke's pants and the surface of the skin on his mid-shin, drawing blood.
Eisuke then lands in a standard push up position parallel to the ground. Once again,
he pushes away from the ground, launching his torso back into the air, this time
stopping in an upright position. "Not bad... But I'm still going to kill you!"
Just as he finishes his sentence Eisuke launches himself into a circle around Ari,
throwing a kunai at him every 45 degrees before jumping back to distance himself
from Ari, launching 3 more kunai, one to the left of, right of, and above Ari in
an attempt to block the three escape passages.

Dropping down low, twin hands thrust into the ground below him. "Dragon Punch!"
A hailstorm of mud and dry earth envelopes Ari, calculated to slow, if not deflect,
the kunais aimed at him. The dust settles, and the genin proves nowhere to be found.
A cough gives away his location, a few feet away on the clearing's edg e. "Pesky
kunai" wiping a smear of blood from his cheek with a dust-covered hand. "Here,
have some of your own." With that, he sends three objects spinning towards the others,
which bursts meters from the genin in a high-velocity spray of glass and metal scraps,
spraying in all directions.

Watching a small trickle of blood run down his opponent's face, Eisuke's black white
eyes seem to sharpen, as his eyebrows narrow, and small red veins start to appear
around the edges of his eyes and the rest of his face morphs into a maniacal grin.
"Looks tasty!" he almost shouts before launching himself directly at Ari, paying
no attention what so ever to the flying shrapnel, wielding a kunai as he does so,
sending an brutal yet speedy barrage of punches, kick and stabbing motions,
leaving no opportunities to counter attack, his arms and legs start to blur as
they repeatedly fly towards their target with deadly precision. Then with
out notice he dashes to Ari's side and yells "DRAGON PUNCH!" his right fist hurtling
towards his opponent's ribs in an open tiger fist.

"Tasty? You obviously have been lacking good food, or good taste for foods."
Previously out of the way of the blasted chaff by his position behind a large
tree trunk, Ari weaves and dodges in a cranelike fashion from Eisuke's blurred
punches and kicks, using branches and trees at every opportunity to slow down his
attacks. And give him a more than a couple of splinters, but that was secondary.
At the very final blow, Ari twists, bringing a tri-pronged sai up towards his ribs,
gripped with both hands Positioned just along the line of Eisuke's dragon punch,
it threatened to rip the genin's approaching fist to shreds.

Almost unable to change the direction of the punch, he manages to direct the punch
upwards towards Ari's head, though still catching on of the sai's prongs on his
wrist creating a 5 inch surface gash up his underarm as he follows the punch
through, surprisingly grinning wider as the prong tears his skin. Eisuke drops
his left hand below his wrist to catch some of the blood and bringing it to his
mouth as his right fist looks about to connect with Ari's face.

The impact drove the handle back to the side of Ari's chest with a sickening snap.
A grunt of pain, but Ari's voice was calm, whilst he spoke rapidly, "Best stop now."
The grip on his blood-tipped sai has changed, now angled up beneath Eisuke's ribcage,
just at the skin. Any forward momentum would impale Eisuke on the sai, piercing
lung or heart in the process. He turns his head such that Eisuke's punch would not
collide full frontal on his face, if Eisuke did continue his foolhardy move.

Eisuke 's left hand drops down to the sai, a finger falling between each of the
prongs before clamping down on the sai and pushing down with immense force, dragging
the prongs down his torso, not flinching as the surface flesh is torn, saved merely
by the fact that the presence of his hand makes it physically impossible for the sai
to sink in to a lethal depth, he leans the right side of his body in with his punch,
intentionally missing his opponent's head completely, hoping to catch Ari off-guard
with this move, he then opens his palm and snaps his right arm back towards his body,
grabbing Ari's face as he does so, trying to snap his neck.

To be continued once more *glares at Ari*

A blood-slick hand spasms, jerking the sharp sai in a thoroughly dangerous fashion
against Eisuke's hand and chest. Reflexively, the older genin stretches his jaw,
angling his head in a bid to catch the outstretched hand between his teeth in a
vicious snap designed to crunch bone. "Stop," Ari managed, "Or the explosive tag
in my hands will." He narrowed his eyes, tightening his grip on the now-crimson hilt.
"Even through that pretty hand of yours.".

"Will what?" Eisuke snickers, "Would you really do that to yourself?" His left hand
starts to exert an immense force as is pushes against the sai, and the prongs slowly
withdraw from his chest, a sickening suction noise sounding as they do, yet this
whole time, his right hand continues to clamp down on Ari's face, trying to twist his
head into a position it was never meant to go.

"Cripes." Ari grunted at the tearing of flesh. Eyes rolling white, he collapses
suddenly, entire body going limp in Eisuke's hand. Which was all a front. Leaving
the sai implanted in Eisuke's tattered hand, crimson hands clamped tight on the arm
choking Ari. A shift in grip, he brought a wooden sandal up, aimed right at the
bloodied sai so close to Eisuke's chest in a final thrust, loosening his grip for
hand seals notwithstanding if the kick connects.

With the sudden pressure released from his left hand, the sai that was once pinned
against his body is sent hurtling into the surrounding forest, not seconds later
Ari's foot connects with the wrist of Eisuke's now free arm. A clicking noise
resounds as he shakes his left wrist a couple of times as he tightens the grip of
his right hand. With his left hand now free he draws another kunai from his waist
pouch, "Time for you to die!" and with that he attempts to plunge the kunai deep
into Ari's throat, without any regard for his right hand.

Eisuke's sashimi-esque hand was still in action. Unbelievable. The kunai connects -
right in the middle of a hornet's nest. He manged to finish his kawarimi after all.
Over the sound of the escalating angry buzzing of the hive's residents, Ari called
from his seat on a tree branch, a good few meters away from Eisuke. "That's for trying
to kill me, you brainless half wit." He took another glance at Eisuke's hand, shaking
his head.

Eisuke grunts as he realizes what has just happened, wrenching the kunai out of his
now useless right hand. "Bastard!" In vain he hurls the nest at the teenager perched
in the branches above.

Sidestepping the nest, Ari reached out a hand, breaking off a nearby branch. "Yeah,
I've heard that before, too. Try to cover your nose." With that, he casually stuck
an explosive tag to the tip of the wood, and ignites it. A smoldering torch in hand,
he approached Eisuke with moderate pace, arm stretched so that his nose is covered
in the cloth at his elbow's crook. "Hold still, and when the hornets are buzzed, step
away to the clearing." Thick, Grey fumes spread as Ari circled the genin.

"How dare you try to help me!" Eisuke yells as he dashes towards the teenager, with his
right hand now useless, he instead of punching, smashes his right elbow into the
burning branch, before following up with his left hand, still wielding the bloody kunai
that just took out his other hand, then following up once more with a high roundhouse
kick from his right leg.

Thoroughly surprised, the torch was easily knocked out of Ari's started grasp,
recovering enough senses to twist his hand to better avoid damage to nerves and major
arteries. He hissed as the blade opened a line all across his forearm, darting back
precariously to avoid the kick. Wincing, his cracked ribs starting to play up, he
darted back to a safe distance. "Unlike you, I believe that murdering within a village
weakens its defenses. Cease, it is pointless to continue."

"Unlike you I don't give a flying fuck about this village or any other for that matter!"
Eisuke roared, hurling the kunai at Ari in frustration.

"Someone seriously needs guidance counseling.", Ari muttered half to himself, crouching
to let the kunai pass harmlessly by. Dropping down to the ground, he rocked back on his
heels, slamming open palms into the tree Eisuke was standing upon, felling it in a mighty
roar. "Why are you so set on killing me?", his strong voice called out in the middle of
the clearing, ready, kunai drawn. Blood dripped down his arm, absorbed by the hungry ground.

"I don't know... Because you piss me off! That will have to do." he shouts as he jumps
from the branch into the surrounding forest, then using the cover of the giant dust cloud
stirred up by tree crashing into the ground. Eisuke the proceeds to circle Ari, hurling
kunai from every which direction before retreating back into the cover of the forest.

"Crazy, stubborn, and lacking common sense," Arms raising. "Just my lucky day. Dragon
punch!" Ari thrust them at a right angles to the ground, clumps of dirt and grass spewing
upwards, in effect being an earthen shield much like that of the Stone. Whirling about, he
twisted, ducked and blocked the rest of the whizzing kunais with his own. Pain slowed his
movements, gaining him more cuts where he was not fast enough. He coughed.

Eisuke dashes back out into the clearing, stopping behind Ari as he lands, and the dust and
dirt settles. "You're slowing down... What's the matter? Got a boo boo?" and with that he
spins around full force, driving his right elbow at the teenager's ribs.

Too be continued once more, god damn Ari

Barely able to catch his breath, the genin dropped instantly into a forward roll,
glittering kunai whizzing at Eisuke as he moved. Stopping in a ready crouch facing
the other lad, Ari scowled. "Just a few ribs broken, no thanks to you. Catch!"
With that, a flying bottle of clear-colored fluid joins the other missiles launched
at the genin.

Eisuke dashes forewards towards Ari ducking below the kunai, then throws up his
right hand catching the second kunai through his right hand, a fresh trickle of
blood running down his forearm. Suddenly the boy stops, extending his left arms he
catches the bottle, he then removes the cork with his mouth. "Actually, you know
what? I don't think I'm old enough to drink this... I prefer blood anyhow..." His
grin widening as he proceeds to pour the contents over the kunai and his right hand.

"You should. A drunken fool might be easier to deal with." He muttered, half to
himself. "Darned complacent village. You'd think someone'd come to investigate after
all the noise." Lupine eyes narrow again at Eisuke. "Since you like it, have some
more." A tuft of grass is all that is left where Ari once stood, the youth a blur
of green circle around Eisuke, lobbing more sake at him. Some lands, rather
ineffectually, in a spectacular shower of sharp glass and wasted alcohol, but at
least four were well-aimed, to the front and at an angle to the back of his chest,
one towards his side, the last careening in a straight course for the back of his
head.

Eisuke yawns as his blank white eys dart around invisibly watching his opponent.
At the last second spinning around, his right hand outstretched, the kunai still
embedded in his palm, he smashes the bottles of sake, showering himself in shattered
glass and alcohol, stopping facing Ari once more. "You know..." He said, as he
pulled the kunai from his right hand, "You're tougher than I gave you credit for."

"Good constitution," Ari said modestly. He patted his bags, seeming not to find what
he was after. A theatrical sigh escapes from the dirt-imbued genin. "Out of sake.
Let's see you dance," a sharp flick of his hand hurling a lantern into bits of dented
metal and glass, its small light turning into full-blown raging fire as the hot flames
consumed the spilled ethanol, quickly surrounding the sake-soaked Eisuke with yellow-white
flames, the ring tightening with every millisecond.

Flames engulf the young genin momentarily, before soft sounding poof sounds, and the
figure of the genin disappears and it replaced with a now fiercely burning log. "This
is getting old, and fast" Eisuke calls from a branch over head."

Platinum locks whisper as Ari's head snaps up, glacial gaze fixed upon the other ninja.
Those eyes meant only one thing: business. "You know what they say," he swung yet another
pack off his shoulder, letting the flames catch hungrily onto the fabric. The telltale
clinking of glass could be heard as he hefted the heavy load. "Out of the frying pan.."
The burning bundle soon fills Eisuke's vision, the equivalent of a ticking time bomb
hurtling right at him.

As Eisuke turned, the dropping backpack vanishes in a cloud of grey smoke, dissipating
as fast as it formed to leave Ari, back to gnarled tree-trunk, hands and feet swirling
chakra as he clung, suspended dizzying meters off the ground. Not that he noticed. "Got
you now" as wrists flick again, a ready lantern and multiple kunai angled straight at
Eisuke's exposed back on his trajectory in mid-air.

The projectiles hit their target dead on, with a sickening thud sounding, not the sound
one would expect when hitting a body, shortly after that familiar poof sounds, and another
log reappears. "You're slow... And these same old tricks are really getting boring..."
Eisuke says calmly from the other side of the tree trunk his opponent is hanging onto,
"I underestimated you, I'll give you that... But I will still kill you, I'll give you that
too... Hopefully you'll have more tricks for me next time, because can bet your ass I will!
Anki!" and with that Eisuke disapears, leaving the teenager alone in the forest. "That was
kinda fun..." He smiles to himself, "But even the best toys break eventually...."

A non-committal grunt came from the platinum-haired youth. "Same old tricks? I could say
that using kawarimi is a coward's escape." Ari riposted. After Eisuke's exit, he scanned
the minute chakra marks left on the ground from Anki with a trained eye. "So he's at the
Academy. Forgive me if I don't wait with baited breath." After a moment, he slumped back
against the tree, drained of energy, ignoring the knobby bark jutting into his skin. Darkness
covered the earth, the silence enclosing the torn land like a soothing balm. A word broke
that silence. "Ow."