Forest of the Mist

[Jeriah]

A dense old-world growth forest not far from Kirigakure. Due to the heavy tree cover, in case of an invasion it would serve as a natural buffer where the Kirgakure no Jutsu and the Silent Killing technique would be put to the best use. Several small rivers intersect this forest, all stemming from the main river passing by Kiirgakure.
​

 

[IsamuChinoike]

A few hours had passed and finally, the militant man had time to relax and cleanse his body of the germs that temporarily resided on the first layer of skin. Relinquishing himself from his bandana and his casual jounin attire, Sumato body had been soaked with water and soap that smelt of coconut butter. The aqua color rag sprung into action as it managed to corrode his body with chemicals that wiped the worry and anxiety. Such luxurious purifying substances seemed to take the weight of the world off his toned shoulders and shift it elsewhere. Turning off the water and forming a "Yang Water" hand seal the compromised body of water that coated the jounin had dispersed, evaporated, and became part of the Earth's hydrosphere. The spirited jounin felt at home, feeling as if every extension part of the village was an extension of his body. This such feeling made the man decide to wear his several-layer kimono outfits, composed of some of the finest fabrics and hardest metals. Sumato's white and brown hair was long and worn-out in texture and neatly formed a small bun on top of his head. Before heading out, Sumato managed to pick up his most trustworthy katana in which he wrapped around his shoulder.

Kneading his chakra inside of his body and converting it into bubbles, he'd soon after expel from their mouth; hoping in one large bubble as the other two severed their distance. Traveling and arriving in the Forst of the Mist, Sumato back rested on the outer bark of a tree. The two remaining bubbles had appeared in both Kazuo and Takezo's room popping within seconds of their entrance depriving the two of sleep or other bodily functions. The popping of the bubble was as loud as an explosion and once bursting one would hear the voice of their sensei. "Meet me in the Forst of the Mist ASAP!"

The bells strapped to a red string bouncing off each other as the wind scurried throughout the mainland. His eyelids covered his black onyx eyes as his mind retreated elsewhere, syncing with nature and the natural habitat. Here he waited for his pupils to reach his destination wanting to teach them a valuable lesson that exerted a physical demonstration.

​

 

[Khandov]

Did it matter what he dreamed of? Of course it did, it was an exhaust content of his soul, hiw will and wishes. Words reveal soul, and so do dreams.
Any yet, what isn't remembered, never existed. Right?

Kazuo knew of that. Even thought that. But when the bubble sprung him awake, with orders in store like it was nothing, the dream and all its memories of it was gone. All that remained was Kazuo's confusion, his futile recollection efforts. The gnawing anxiety... a proof the dream exists, even if not remembered.
After all, effects have causes, as unknown and unremebered as they may be. What isn't remember never existed... who the hell thinks like that, Kazuo thought. Fact remains fact, if Sumato was to be forgotten about here and now, for example, completely, his legacy would remain. He'd live in Kazuo and Takezo, in a way.

Even if he did not, fact would remain he walked the earth, even if no one remembers or knows of it. In all of universe, things happen. Unnumbered things, all beyond sight of "us". Have all these things never existed?

That's how Kazuo thought few months back. Now, all he thought about was hasty shower, rallying into presentable attire, and rushing out into Forest of the Mist, quite caring that Takezo was following. Maybe they could bond while travelling. Maybe Takezo wouldn't be quite in the mood. Kazuo knew he himself just wanted to bond to fight better in team context.

 

[BQD]

"What is it, Sensei?" Takezo arrived within minutes of Sumato's call. He didn't need to change his attire, nor did he need to shower, as a Samurai, Takezo was always at the ready. While other ninja slept, Takezo trained, and that was exactly what he did when Sumato's bubble popped in his room. Coincidentally, as he finished his 1000th strike with a wooden sword, the genin immediately went on his way to the so-called Forest of the Mist. After spending several weeks in the village, Takezo had grown familiar with the area. He had come to known its citizens, its food and the culture, and while he certainly misses his home, he had adapted.

 

[IsamuChinoike]

There continued to be an unwavering feeling that corroded Sumato's skin. It did not feel safe to be a shinobi anymore and the recent global attacks proved that there were deities disguised as mere beings who could cause substantial damage anywhere they imagined. While his back glued to the trunk of a tree, he often thought about the recent efforts he partook in as a shinobi of the Village Hidden in the Mist. Their security skipped all lower levels of emergency response and immediately activating the highest form of security. What was the relationship between the global events and tonight's training module? The answer was easy. Strength! The heir of the Tsuchigumo Clan had a lot of responsibilities, but his many objectives were to be a mentor and teacher to the upcoming generation of shinobi. It was his responsibility to install the Will of Water into their psyche and extend their limits far greater than destiny allowed. While the moniker of the "Bloody Mist" was no more, the presence of strong killing intent still needed to be embodied by every shinobi that hailed from Land of Water, Kirigakure. This cultural behavior encouraged Mist ninja to never hold back within important battles and to finish their opponent to the very end. The savagery and brutality of their attacks when tapped into this nature strengthens them by tenfold.

Sumato's ears perked up as he could hear the rough footsteps digging into earth's confine and traveling to the designated destination. As their feet pushed against the dark green grass, their jounin sensei was able to recognize the pattern and rhythm of their footsteps allowing him to distinguish who was who and how far they were. Tracking their movements, the two genins transitioned from individuals shaded by darkness and appearing as silhouttes into familiar faces, which brought a slight smile on their sensei's face.

"Great you're here!"

A cheerful voice amounted from the top of the tree. Emitting a constant stream of chakra to his feet, Sumato stood upside down on a tree branch his black onyx eyes beating down onto the two genin. Relinquishing the strapped bells from his waist, his right hand would extend only inches away from his face to display the bells in his hand. The bright smile pasted on his face continuous as he explained the rules to both Kazuo and Takezo. They were simply informed that the exercise would end if they retrieved the bells from Sumato by any means necessary. The faster they captured the bells the faster they can go back and rest. Quickly glancing at his wrist, it was time to start. Not intending to hold back, the descendant of the Tsuchigumo weaved hand seals within a blink of an eye. Molding and manipulating his chakra to be converted into a soapy substance, it was not long after forming the necessary hand seals that Sumato's jutsu had been activated. Partially expanding his chest, a large volume of bubbles unleashed from Sumato's grasp traveling and hovering around both genin. What could not be easily picked up on, was how indistinguishable and varying the fifty bubbles laid dormant were. With one snap of his finger, the bubbles containing a red intensifying powder exploded onto the scene, ensnaring the two in a cloud of smoke. It both stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the eye to produce tears and irritation in their nasal passages. Since the smoke was conjured with Sumato's chakra it was hard to pinpoint his location as he soon flickered from existence hiding within the reservoir nearby. The bubbles continuously surrounded shinobis mimicking that of landmines.

​

 

[Khandov]

Sumato's training was no-nonsense and always inexorable. The antic of waking Kazuo up crudely and simply ordering him to a random location for training was commonplace, enough for Kazuo to harden and get used to this. And the exercises themselves? Always on the next level, or at least so they felt. Much frustration vented off in Kazuo's young mind, like clouds of smoke. All necessary to get better. Training kept up with him seamlessly, such that he barely felt he was getting better, even as he advanced greatly.

Kazuo's view has yielded more or less entirety of the situation. Get the Sensei's bells from his hand. Between that, there were chakra bubbles, some exploding into a smoke. Tears walled up... tear gas. Probably, probably not illusion. No, he'd have to maintain sight through the smoke for it to be illusion. And Sensei was already gone... Kazuo was almost certain he spirited away, but the smoke made this uncertainty.
First priority was to get out of range of the cursed smoke. "Away, Takezo!" - he yelled just before it got close to him. He dashed away to the south, signs-a-twitter, Yang glowing within to accelerate the regaining of sight and smell. Having nothing in arsenal to outright dispel the jutsu, the only option left was to run away and split up with Takezo. A calculated decision, relying on him responding to his actions intelligently, and advantage of them not being in same position when it came to finding people. Once his sensories were back on track and smoke was less, Kazuo exerted himself to scry a water body present for jutsu emissions, making a bet that their Sensei hid in water; a technique Kazuo was aware of, if not witnessed at master's hands. If he was not hidden in technique, Takezo would likely spot him in vicinity.

 

[BQD]

Though he had remained both quiet and attentive when Sumato had revealed himself, a slight smirk formed itself upon Takezo's lips as Sumato explained the exercise. It was simple in concept, but obviously its execution would be an entire different beast that the two would have to tackle. His hand moved to Genkou's sheath, his knees bending slightly, as chakra flowed throughout his body. Usually, he'd strike an opponent before they could perform a single hand seal. That was the basis of his Iaido, but against an opponent like Sumato, he knew there'd likely be a trick involved, more than that, the speed at which he performed his hand seals was almost unnoticeable, almost as if he hadn't performed them at all. Bubbles moved from his person, varying in sizes and characteristics, and amidst this forest of them, Sumato disappeared from sight. Explosion after explosion ensued as some of the bubbles made contacts with one another, causing a strange smoke to arise, and amidst it, his comrade's command.


"Away, Takezo!" he had said. Was that an order? A suggestion? Whatever it was, it caused Takezo slight annoyance as a frown filled his lips, his eyes narrowing. The will of the iron stated that one must always be unbending, rigid, against any force that come. Running was never an option. Not for someone like Takezo. Swift chakra flourished into his blade and hand, coating their entirety. With a single movement, Takezo swiped his sheathed sword upwards, causing the air itself to be sliced underneath his influence. Not even seconds later, a massive shockwave formed in the slash's wake, expanding in every direction as the bubbles and explosions approached. The earth cracked slightly, grass being moved away from the ground, as the chakra shockwave begun to twist and turn, rapidly, until a small vortex surrounded Takezo's person. Serving as a temporary shield, Takezo's own chakra pushed away that of Sumato's, preventing any smoke, nor any bubbles from reaching him. To the onlooker, it'd look as if a miniature twister absorbed everything in sight momentarily, and for moments that was exactly what happened. This was simply a variation of his Snowstorm Beheading technique, sacrificing power for efficiency, and utilizing his swift release to perform it faster than he usually would.

Utilizing his incredible speed, once the majority of the approaching bubbles had been dealt with, Takezo disappeared from sight with a single step, allowing the vortex to slowly die out as it drew out the last bits of Sumato's jutsu.

"Can you spot him?" He asked Kazuo, completely focused on the reservoir.

 

[IsamuChinoike]

The luminous gas had filled the surrounded with a swift succession after being released from the enlarged bubbles. It had no taken long for Sumato's jutsu came to fruition as the gas both blinded and temporarily erased Kazuo's sense to smell. Running like a chicken with no head, he could no see what was in store for him as he jostled and collided with the bubbles. Once on contact, the bubbles popped instantly setting off small explosions of tightly compacted air. The knockback force resembled that of multiple fists colliding with the opponent's body to cause external bruising. Since these were his students, Sumato held back the strength of his jutsu knowing that this technique could have been fatal when utilized in real combat. Simultaneously a chain of bubbles would have exploded connecting powerful blows all through Kazuo's body. The boy's body would violently shake upon the impact of the attacks. His beautiful skin now scarred and bruised and would be in condition to stand. There was a high possibility the boy would lose consciousness as for their cognitive functions being impaired. Nasua, dizziness, and ringing in the ears ensued. A frown appeared on Sumato's face as he'd not what to do. End this mission and give his student the medical attention or continue the brutal battle? A low sigh that could only be heard by him emerged from his moist lips. He knew he would be doing no good if sheltered his students from danger and it was his job to prepare them for the real world.

Still submerged within the body of water, Sumato drew his attention to his second pupil. Coating his blade and hand with chakra he managed the slice the air causing massive wreckage, which protected him from the gas and the bubbles' explosive power. This technique was smart indeed, but like any other technique, there were always loopholes. With his partner incapacitated, the samurai had much more responsibility. Takezo learned how to defend himself well against the opposition and learned how to coordinate attacks really well, but he never learned how to protect those who were dare to him. Not only did he have to protect himself from every attack, but protect his partner who could not defend himself would be a task. How much chakra did his small body contain? He hoped his samurai student observed the battlefield and took into account what it meant to be a team player.

After completing hand seals, Sumato channeled his soapy substance of chakra underneath the incapacitated shinobi. Emerging from the ground was a gigantic bubble that ensnared Kazuo's body within the sphere. Every five seconds the bubble would begin to decrease in size, slowly constricting any possible movement inside. The end result of the jutsu was crushing the opponent with bone-breaking force by intensifying the pressure and imploding the bubble. Had Kazuo died that would be on Takezo's hand forcing the samurai to emerge from his hiding spot.

​

 

[Khandov]

He could think quite well in an hour. He could even do so remotely well in ten seconds. Split-second decisions, that would sometimes falter still. Sometimes being now.

The impact granted him one, almost nanosecond left to fathom what happened, and indeed he did. His thoughts were many. In what little he had left, he condensed the know that he got hit, that it may have been the most foolish move he'd ever make, that Takezo would now have to keep him alive. Then, the consciousness faded.

Thread after thread, Kazuo's connection with the world withered. Kazuo's consciousness was now in a sterile cage of sorts. All-white, made of white walls, white pavement. He was now like a mere arrow, floating around. The floating appeared to be in two dimensions, ignoring the third one. Such was Kazuo's subconscious... or as such it could be described. The arrow sought a way out, only to end up in the center whatever it tried. Many smaller arrows seemed to harm it, radiating negative thoughts. There was one for each curse Kazuo's subconsciouss produced. Upon his upbringing, upon his call, upon himself. ""Fool..." - he echoed within, as his arrow dodged another. "Thrice-cursed blind fool..." - The other three struck true, and Sumato's face could be seen by the arrow. It seemed like this place that was Kazuo's subconscious, conjured it ever since the exercise begun. It was hidden right beneath a poodle, encircled in chakra. His face was stoic as ever, but contempt burned behind it like fire. So much contempt for that mistake... contempt that might have existed nowhere but here. A mirage of something that never existed, not in this intensity.

Even now, the arrow was wrangling itself from the cage. Even now, it shot free into the air, as if working to regain connection with the world. But the more it worked, the more unsettling the visage was.

For the only thing the external vision harbinged, were the walls closing in on him.

 

[BQD]

As he took to the airs, Takezo's attention was immediately taken in by the loud popping noises. Pop. Pop. Pop. The bubbles resounded time and time again as they met Kazuo's body, causing shockwaves and rumbling to follow. The earth shook vigorously, due to the "landmines" their sensei had placed and awakened due to Kazuo's frantic decision. From up above, the landscape more well resembled a place of war, with the amount of smoke and dust that arose from the bubbles, had it not been for Takezo's tuned chakra sensing, it'd appear as if everything had died. Immediately, Takezo's hand moved to his sword, his body still up in the skies.

Chakra covered its entirety, and from up above, Takezo swung his blade outwards, curving it down towards the earth. It was an odd way of releasing a slash, but it was an attack that would serve its purpose. The slash came down to the ground growing in size, though rather than meet it head on, it instead curved at the last second, just grazing above the grass. Aside from getting rid of whatever dust and smoke that had risen or been caused by Sumato's technique, it would also clash against whatever traps had been left. As the smoke cleared, Takezo could see it quite clearly. His teammate's unconscious body.

Almost launching into action, the Samurai noticed the layer of protection surrounding him, causing him to doubt for a split second. His eyes flickered between the reservoir and Kazuo before they narrowed. He wanted it more badly than ever, to fight Sumato one on one, just how many times would he get an opportunity like this?! Besides, it wasn't his fault that Kazuo had been promptly defeated, no, he had done that all on his own.

"What to do...what to do...." The samurai thought to himself. His eyes continued to flicker time and time again from one spot to another. "Tch..."

Takezo swiped his sword once more twisting his body as he did, causing his upper body to face the tree Sumato previously stood on. The slash would cut through its trunk, causing it to fall right over the reservoir that Sumato might've been in. It wasn't much, but it'd at least keep his Sensei distracted, or so he thought, until Takezo took care of the duo's other problem. The water would splash as the tree's entire length sunk into it, serving as an obstacle for whoever was underneath as Takezo reached the ground.

What happened next was almost unnoticeable, chakra amassed at his legs and up his sword arm as he bent his knees, his sword sheathed once more. His stance was akin to the one he had taken during their mission. Takezo's eyes glowed, their focus clear, the bubble that surrounded his teammate. The ground had been inspected by his previous slash, and nothing could now impede him from his target.

"You'll pay me back for this...Kazuo..."

His figure blurred from sight, to the point where not even the atmosphere properly reacted, at least not in its due time, such was the power of his Swift Release. Though it took time to prepare, once he had taken off, there was no stopping him. The ground cracked as Takezo reappeared in front of Sumato's bubble, his sword finally leaving its scabbard. The glow of chakra could be seen across its length, before Takezo swiped his sword in front of his Sensei's creation. For all the speed, for all the momentum he had amassed, the sword slash seemed violently gentle.

Moments after, the bubble in itself would be split in two, a fissure of chakra causing this, the air around the duo would ripple, as even an implosion, if one followed would cease to exist at the presence of Takezo's slash, for not even a second later, slash after slash followed, splitting the air in ways that could allow no explosion to exist, and due to his technique, Kazuo would be safe from it all. Rather than stop himself immediately, Takezo would then slash the air repeatedly, though nothing came out of it yet, before placing his blade back into its sheath.