Grand Final: Yukiko Amaya vs Osaru Kitsuki

This topic is for these two members only, it's for the CE's and it's private.
Chance of death.

[OOC: Best of luck Osaru; let's give them a good fight, eh?]

Yukiko was sat on the side of her bed, her forearms resting on her thighs and her head bowed in contemplation. Today marked the final match of her journey through the Chuunin exams. Behind her lay three skilled opponents, each presenting the Suna Genin with a new challenge to overcome. Most recently, Kimiko Miyamoto had given Yuki the toughest of any battle that she had emerged victorious from. It had taken a full two days of rest for the young kunoichi to regain her strength and energy from that particular fight.

Still, she reasoned that she had learned far more from being pushed to her limits than she would have if any of her matches had been simple walkovers. She knew that there were things she needed to improve upon now, though that would have to wait until these exams were finished with. It was both frustrating and comforting to know that winning the tournament was not the only means of attaining a promotion in this tournament - she could go out and lose spectacularly and still be granted the rank of Chuunin. Of course, the frustration was that even if she won in spectacular fashion, her opponent could still emerge a Chuunin too.

Yukiko took a deep breath and placed her hands on the side of her bed. Exhaling now, she pushed herself to her feet and blinked determinedly. She wasn't foolish enough to let these thoughts bother her. Today, all she had to do was showcase her talent and impress the elders. Win or lose, she wasn't going to let the opportunity of promotion escape her grasp. Sunagakure no Sato would have something to show for their efforts in this tournament, she would make sure of it. Feeling increasingly more confident and at ease, she busied herself locating her various battle items and attaching them to her belt, or placing them in pouches.

Before long, she stood on the outside of her temporary lodgings in Konohagakure, all geared-up and more than ready for the trial awaiting her. The walk to the stadium was not a long one, ten minutes at most. It gave the Suna Genin a moment or two to dwell on what she knew of her upcoming opponent. Osaru Kitsuki was the name of the Genin she would be facing. Not having had the opportunity to meet him herself, she had mere rumour and hearsay on which to base her expectations. Apparently he was around the same age as her and possessed some kind of bloodline ability that Yuki hadn't heard of before. That at least would make things interesting, for sure.

Before she knew it, Yukiko was standing before the guarded entrance to the stadium. Two Chuunin proctors had been assigned to guard the gates, and although they knew Yuki by appearance by now, they still could not let her through without her registering herself as 'present' and giving her full name. After the administrative tasks were taken care of, the two proctors nodded Yuki on through, smiling encouragingly. As she stepped into the familiar circular arena, the crowd roared with excitement. Today's fight was the culmination of weeks' worth of gritty battles and tense encounters, so the kunoichi was hardly surprised by the spectators' excited reaction.

It seemed, once again, that the Suna Genin was the first to arrive. I should try being late one of these days. She joked silently to herself. The arena hadn't changed much since the semi-finals - the base of the circular wall was lined with a number of green bushes. The ground was dry and the little thin grass there was grew in patches. For the first time ever, Yuki noticed the effect these numerous fights were having on the arena - scratches and cracks lined certain areas of the walls, and the earth was nowhere near as smooth as it had been two weeks ago. As she reached the rough centre of the battlefield, Yukiko turned and waited for her opponent to arrive, breathing slowly the keep herself calm.

[You dont have to ask me twice ]

[And Good Luck to you too. May the better shinobi win]

Osaru woke up in the treetops of one of the large trees in the Konoha Park. He was up all night training until midnight, and was too lazy, and exausted, to find his way back to his run-down apartment. He was used to living in unusual places anyway. After the incident with his parents, and he was sent to Konoha, he didnt like his grandmother's house. He always thought it smelled like old, dirty soapwater and that dusty book smell you get when you open up a book that hasnt seen the light of day in decades; none of these smells were of any liking to Osaru. So, instead of sleeping in what Osaru called her 'smelly, old person guest room' back then, he snuck out of the house, and crashed in some treebranch or something. Osaru liked it, whether it was the breeze blowing through his surprisingly silky-smooth hair, the fact he could stargaze all night long without being interupted by and 'stupid adults', or the feeling that he was free. Un-restrained from normal society. That he held his own leash, no elders, parents or anyone else could control him or his life. Whether it was all of these, none of these or any comprehendable combination of them that made Osaru like it, the fact remains, that he likes sleeping in trees. Anyways, Osaru woke up suddenly from a half-nights restful slumber. When he finally opened his eyes, he saw a black ball of feathers pecking at his face. He closed his eyes, only to open them up again after comprehending what was going on. 'Kuri!' he exclaimed. He quickly swiped at the bird, scaring his friend away while Osaru grabbed his few belongings, and brushed the leaves and dirt off his shirt. 'Eh... Black hides the grime' he laughed to himself. Despite the immense pressure of today's event, and waht it means for Osaru's future, as well as the whole Village, Osaru manages to remain calm and collected. No one but him and Kuri know how he does it, and Osaru plans on keeping it that way. Once he knew he had all of his belongings, he headed of for the Chunin Exams Stadium, walking at his usual calm and cool walking speed.

Once he was within eyesight of the large, stonewall structure, he stopped and looked around. He saw no crowds of visitors and village members at the front gate waiting to get in and find there seat for the fight. 'Looks like were early, eh Kuri?' he asked the bird without gazing over at his companion. By doing so, he didnt notice the bird shaking his head in frustration. The Bird knew Osaru was late, but Osaru himself didnt. He thought he was on time and there was nothing to sweat about. He just casually walked up the the contestants gates, and saw a large huddle of about three or four Konoha Chunin. 'Uh-oh... Looks like something going on. Shouldnt bother them then, huh?' he asked to no one in particular. Osaru just shrugged and walked further along the stadium from the treeline. Once he was out of site from the Chunin, he ran straight at the wall with a calm smile on his face. Once he was a few meters from the wall, he leapt onto the vertical side of it with ease. He ran up the wall, all the way to the top of the stadium. He ended up on the very top of the roofs, above the audience's boxes. He gazed down at the whole stadium, enjoying the bird's-eye-veiw, until something hit him. He heard people talking in the buildings below him. In fact, he even saw his opponent, none other than the now-legendary Yukiko Amaya, and another huddle of some Konoha, and a single Suna, Shinobi of Jounin and Chunin rank. 'Shit! Im late!' he muttered under his breath in a little shame, and a little surprise. 'At least, it adds to the suspense, eh Kuri?' he laughed to the bird. He streched his arms, legs and back, while watching the scene commence below. He stood up and streched one last time. 'Lets go get 'em Kuri!' he said with much enthusiasm. 'You know the plan little man, and follow my lead!' And with that last statement, he was off. Once he said the last phrase, he ran and leapt off the building. And instead of disappearing like his last appearance, he just let himself fall. He heard some screams and yells of startled veiwers who saw Osaru fall. Osaru just laughed, ignoring that fact that what he did was dangerous, reckless, and could backfire on him at any moment. Something came over him last night. Something that made Osaru want to live each moment to its fullest extent. No longer did he care about only the Chunin Exams and surviving to the next day. Now all he wants is to have fun, live life, and still win the Exams. Whether this new feeling is for Osaru's greater good, or if its going to be his downfall, he doesnt know, or care. He knows what he needs to do, and he plans on doing it.

Once Osaru came to the wall of the sparring area, he grabbed one of his 'Bird Claws' and scraped it along the wall, to break his fall. He landed on the ground in a cloud of dust and dirt. Once the cloud start to dissapate, Osaru said: 'Sorry about my tardiness, but theres no point in making excuses about it, huh? Lets just get ths over with...' Osaru hoped that his entrance would catch the crowd, and hopefully his opponent, off guard, adding to the suspense and dramatic effect of the match at hand. 'Ready when you are Yuki' Osaru said slyly, as he placed his knuckles back in their holding pouch, and drawing a kunai instead, hiding the fact that he had a custom, secret weapon from his opponent.

Her eyes flickering to various areas around the arena as she waited for the arrival of her opponent, Yukiko began to wonder if he would turn up at all. A second later she dismissed this foolish thought; it would be senseless to back out at this stage of the tournament. Of course he'll show - this is the final battle. The young kunoichi of Sunagakure reassured herself. In fact, now that she came to think about it, Yuki would have been disappointed if her opponent didn't arrive in time. Winning by default would have felt empty and hollow. She preferred to earn credit by her own abilities.

As the kunoichi's gaze wandered across the faces of the the thousands of spectators, she noticed many of them beginning to turn to each other in anxiety. They too, it seemed, had experienced the same thoughts as Yukiko. Their questions were answered in a matter of moments however, as a small section of the crowd gasped, drawing the attention of those remaining who had not seen the figure plummeting to the ground, followed more slowly by what appeared to be a relatively small bird. Yuki, along with the sea of faces surrounding her, turned to watch the falling figure. It could only be Osaru - only someone who belonged in the arena at this precise time would be so bold.

As the Suna Genin's opponent neared the ground, he grabbed something from a pouch and dug it into the wall of the stadium, slowing his fall. There was a small thud as hit touched down, barely audible above the roar from the crowd. This was what they had come to see, and from their perspective, it only got better from here on in. By the time Osaru had balanced himself and got to his feet, the bird had caught up and landed gently on his shoulder. As the boy walked confidently toward Yukiko, she eyed up her opponent. So this is Konoha's trump card? She found herself thinking, unsure what to make of him. He seemed rather at ease with the gravity of the event, which told Yuki that he wouldn't be one to crack under pressure.

After a brief but necessary apology for arriving late, Osaru proceeded to tuck whatever that odd-looking weapon had been behind his waist and draw a kunai. Yuki found herself wishing she had got a better glance at the weapon she was not familiar with. Having a few unusual weapons in her own arsenal however, it didn't bother her too much. He's got his work cut out if he wants to go at it with steel on steel. She told herself silently. At this closer proximity, the Suna Genin could see that the bird companion of Osaru's was in fact a raven. Shinobi using pets in battle was not unheard of, just less common in Sunagakure. Again, Yuki ignored this for now and focused on her ready and waiting opponent.

"Ready." She called out evenly, adjusting her footing a little before making a move. It seemed the two weren't going to exchange formalities this time - they were both eager to get on with the fight. A mere half-second later, a small cloud of dust was kicked into the air as the kunoichi dashed forward. Her physical conditioning was well above average, and it had so far stood her in good stead. With a perfect opening move in mind, Yuki proceeded with a small grin on her face. She whipped three kunai out from her item pouch and released them viciously toward Osaru. However, while her hand had been momentarily delving into the pouch, she had let her small finger curl around the handles of what she knew to be tagged kunai. With the exploding tagged kunai still in her hand, she flicked both of them up in the air with far less force than the three kunai she had slung a moment before.

The angle was perfect - while Osaru's attention was focused on the approaching projectiles, the exploding tagged kunai would fall, unbeknownst to the male Genin, no more than a foot behind where he was currently standing. The explosion from both tags would either catch him in the middle of knock him forward into the Suna Genin's path. For Yukiko herself was also darting toward the Konoha shinobi, her entire body poised to move according to his reactions. She knew to move if the tag exploded or to draw a weapon if Osaru went for hand to hand combat. But first, it was his move.

Osaru smiled a little as he watched the kunoichi waste no time with the fight. Once the proctor had annouced for the fight to start, his opponent kicked a cloud of dust into the air. Not bad, but still obvious... he critiqued in his head. He stood his ground calmly as the shinobi charged forward a little, lessening the distance between the two of them. She threw three kunai with ease at Osaru, the ease of a shinobi familar with the touch of steel. Osaru noted that in his head for later. He charged, head-on, at the incoming kunai, deflecting each one, one by one with his kunai in hand. While charging, Osaru drew a single kunai with an explosive tag wrapped around the handle for his left hand.

He continued on charging at his opponent, when something out of the corner of his eye drew his attention. He tilted his head up just a tad, to see what it was, and he saw the familar glint of steel from a kunai. Kuso! he swore in his head as he formed a single handseal with his left hand, managing it depsite the kunai in hand. Osaru used the Kawarimi Jutsu he learned in the academy to replace himself with his raven companion who was following a few meters behind. The bird flew right over the explosion with ease, while Osaru continued his charge from a safe distance back. 'Nice... Almost got me there kunoichi' Osaru complimented under his breath. Osaru ran right through where the explosion just happened, using the dying flames and smoke as cover for his charge.

Osaru would continue charging Yukiko, until he was just a few meters away, then he dive to the ground, handfirst, drop both kunai on the ground, explosive and not, and then flip over his opponent. Sure hope this works... he thought to himself as he charged. Its been a while(more like a few days, but to Osaru tahts a while) since hes done that, but He felt he was still in good enough physical condition to do that. Osaru always took pride in being in decent enough physical condition to where he could last a few minutes in a hand-on-hand battle with some of his friends who used Taijutsu. Osaru lost after a while, but then again, hes not a Taijutsu expert. 'Lets see what you got girl...' he said to the kunochi in a soft, yet teasing tone. '...Better make this fight worth it!'

Spoiler:

As always, the opening few moves from the two combatants were probing ones; trying to discover each others' strengths and weaknesses without committing too much to a large scale attack. Attacks of that nature were generally considered inadvisable so early on, for the opponent might have a particular counter-attack that rendered it useless. Even worse would be if the opponent had to exert little physical effort or sacrifice little chakra to do so. Yuki had not expected her move to do more than reveal something about Osaru. The irony of her opponent becoming damn-near impossible to see amidst the smoke was not lost on the kunoichi.

The bird had flown away to safety, moving quickly to avoid the explosion and - Yuki surmised - using the freshly created hot air to ride to even greater heights. The young female Genin decided to keep a close eye on the bird whenever she could spare one. Though tempted to use ninjutsu to get a better view of her target, the kunoichi was aware that it would only be a moment or two before Osaru emerged and such a technique would really be wasteful. Instead, she prepared to combat whatever her opponent was about to use against her, halting her own run and backing off a little.

Sure enough, Osaru emerged mere seconds later, carrying an additional kunai in his once free hand. Being somewhat familiar with weaponry - though little more than was required for taijutsu training - the Suna kunoichi spotted something untoward immediately. It was unusual for a shinobi to use two weapons at once in close combat, the defensive capabilities of such a set up were very poor - even a free hand being better for blocking and stopping attacks. And though Yukiko wasn't going to dismiss the idea that Osaru was simply being rash, she thought it more likely he would be releasing the kunai from his grasp soon.

As her opponent drew closer, Yuki kept mving backward, changing her stance according to how he approached. Eventually, when he was close enough, Osaru dived toward Yuki and pressed his hands against the ground near her feet. Seeing that a number of things could emerge from this, the kunoichi decided it best to back off. She did so, taking a few steps away so that she was just out of striking range. However, that either wasn't the Konoha-nin's plan or he was extremely good at improvising. A second later her sprang up and soared high toward and over Yukiko. The unexpected move immediately alerted the Suan Genin to some other danger, and her eyes fell on the fallen kunai.

Noticing the explosive tag, she moved quickly to amend the situation. Her gaze flitted up to focus on Osaru suspended in horizontal aerial motion above her. With her own leap, angled slightly backwards, she jumped up to meet him, forming hand seals as she went. With her opponent helpless in mid-air with no place to plant feet or hands to move away, she had confidence in her attack. Her hands began to emit a pale blue aura. Furthermore, faint wisps of a similar colour began to dissipate from them. With grasping fingers, she clutched at Osaru's midriff and pulled hard. If all went according to plan, he would be pulled down with her either into the explosion or into the aftermath of it.

Of course, the most important part of the taijutsu attack was the particular poison running in copious amounts through the aura surrounding Yuki's hands. Easily strong enough to seep through the Konoha-nin's clothing and into his skin, all the kunoichi needed was a single touch. Shoukou was in use this time, a poison that worked to dehydrate its victim. At the level the Suna Genin could manage, it would remain in Osaru's system for a short while - long enough to do damage that would hinder him for the remainder of the fight. But for now, Yuki concentrated on grabbing any part of the male Genin and bringing him to the ground with her.

Spoiler:

Osaru just grinned fiercely when he saw the look of the Suna Genin's face after he did his frontflip. He kept the same defiant grin even when the Kunoichi formed a few handsigns. He gripped his kunai in his right hand tightly when the kunoichi reached out her hand, keeping note of the colored aura around her hand. He swung his right hand inward to meet the kunochi's hand. That way, she'd be stabbed in her upper wrist area if she tried to grab Osaru. 'Lose your hand, or lose a chance to bring me in the flames? Your choice missy' he muttered under his breath when the kunoichi got close enough to him. Whether she decided to take her hand back or not was her desicion. Osaru just took a deep breath and jumped back from the confrontation after the kunoichi made her desicion.

He landed on the ground with a soft 'thump' of his sandals hitting the soft, but firm, ground. He drew three kunai, these ones with the thin, yet sturdy, ninja wire tied carefull around the edges. Osaru spent most of his free time before, and during, the exams tuning up and polishing up his weapon collection. He made sure each and every kunai in each and every holster and pouch was polished and ready to the very end. He tied everyone string of ninja wire to all of the kunai taht needed it. He individually wrapped each and every explosive tag around all of the kunai that needed. He even assigned each and every kunai a special symbol imprinted on the ring to show whether it has an explosive tag attached, ninja wire, or both. Hes even polished and sharpened all of his shuriken, even carefully tying some ninja wire around them just for kicks. His Bird Claws, are given the highest quality care he can give, having them be his trump card, weapon-wise. Hes made his whole arsenal was deadly, and ready. Even his spirit was sharpened, and he has his heart on winning this competition. He was in no way ready to lose this match.

The three kunai he drew, he tossed on the ground around him, leaving the wire there too. He drew another kunai(this one with and explosive tag) and a couple smoke bombs, hiding the pellets with the drawing of the kunai. He wiped his mouth with the hand with the kunai and smoke pellets. He snuck the smoke bombs into his mouth while wiping. 'Betcha wont see this coming kunoichi' he thought to himself. He gripped both kunai tightly, one in each hand, and felxed his fingers here or there just to keep his blood flwoing. He stood his ground firmly, allowing the Suna Genin to make the next move. He was ready for anything she'd throw at him. 'Your move, kunoichi' he stated with no emotion in particular.

A little too late, Yukiko noticed the kunai coming in to strike at her right wrist. A quick change of position would have worked perfectly, but in mid-air this would require something a little more tricky. How could she have missed the kunai in Osaru's hand?! Furious with herself but with no time to really give this any thought, she brought her left hand around quickly and clutched at her opponent's wrist. Her right hand was already moving away, but it wouldn't be fast enough. Wincing as she felt the tip of the metal blade pierce her right forearm, she pulled it away and with her left hand, gripped the offending wrist of Osaru's and shoved it away.

The plan to pull her opponent down toward the explosion below had failed, the flame and debris all dissipated now. Her movements in mid-air had done little to disrupt Osaru's fall either, and he was able to land comfortably. Yuki had even incurred a small but painful gash in her right forearm. Yet when she landed, she was grinning. In the midst of the aerial confusion and scrambled movements, she had managed to latch on to her opponent's wrist with one of her toxin-filled hands. It had been tenacious indeed of her opponent to have a kunai ready, but only being able to target one of Yuki's hands with it had been critical.

True, the Suna Genin's arm was now trickling blood down her arm. The injury she had sustained was more immediately painful, but she knew that so long as she could hold her ground until the poison wore out her opponent, it was a far less crucial wound than the one she had inflicted on her opponent. As she landed on the ground, her awkward positioning forced her to roll as she hit the ground. With a grunt of exertion she got to her feet, panting a little now. The fight had started with a bang - quite literally - and seemed destined to reach new heights of drama. The high-octane battle was just what Yuki relished.

For now, she had to wait for the more serious effects of the toxin to set in, the immediate effects not strong enough for her to try anything risky. She knew better than that. Sizing up her opponent, the kunoichi could see that he was holding two kunai and had dropped three more to the ground. What for? A trap, surely. Yukiko thought to herself, wary of her opponent's clear proficiency with weapons. Drawing a kunai of her own, the Suna Genin twirled it in her hand, watching the attached explosive tag flutter in the breeze. "Quite a match this is, Osaru-san." She called out, wanting to stall for as much time as she could.

[OOC: I have tried to work my mid-air actions so that they wouldn't affect how you posted what happened next. I.e. Osaru doesn't get pulled down at all, and Yuki in unbalanced. I made the assumption that with one kunai attacking my right hand, my left was unattended and able to do what I have typed. I read and re-read your post to check, and can only see one kunai drawn. If you object, by all means PM me. I'd hate you to feel slighted in any way. ]

[I cant see how i could object lol. You made everything perfect. You posted it so that it didnt interfere with my post, and yet still got your move in too. You made sure that none of the posts conflict(which happens often in spars, especially), so Im actually giving you props cuz of your post ^^

And i did only have 1 kunai drawn, i amde sure of that beforehand

And sorry about my post, i wasnt trying to godmod or anything. If you wanted to try and take me into the flames, then ill edit my post a little and so can you so taht can happen, buts it your call and may it delay the Exams a little...

But its glad to know you care about me XP]

Osaru watched carefully as his opponent drew a kunai of her own, one with a tag too. Osaru-san, eh? Either she's trying to get on my good side, or shes not good with formalities... Osaru thought to himself. Why she hasnt come to attack me? Surely, she would know this would be a trap, but she could at least do some counter-attack or trigger the trap... Either she's too careful about traps, or shes waiting for something... but what? Osaru though before it hit him. He remembered when he tried to stab Yukiko, how she grabbed his right arm with her left hand, which was glowing too, to stop him from stabbing her. He just realized how that may have been a counter-attack to his counter-attack. Nice... So you must've placed some poison or spores in me and your waiting for them to take effect... he noted. He was fairly certain that was her plan, but if he happened to be wrong, hed be clueless. Better make sure i can end this before whatever shes done to me happens! he stated, while he went on with his plan.

He reached deep into one of his many hidden pockets and pouches and felt around for what he was looking for. Once he found it, he took it out. When his hand came out, there was a single pair of crude spiked knuckles around Osaru's hand. Under that he still had the kunai from before, making his whole right hand a deadly weapon. He could punch and stab with his combination of his tools, whihc benefited him greatly. Most ninjas had to chose one weapon that could either punch or stab, but rarely both. Osaru could , and would, now do both.Its on... he told himself. He charged at his opponent, both kunai's in hand. 'Quite a match, eh? Ive only begun!' he said onec he got within punching ditance of the kunoichi. Once he said that, however, he would use the ninja technique Shunshin to appear behind wherever the kunoichi would be, and then hed try and punch her form behind. If she tried to use some form of taijutsu, whether itd be a simple punch or grab or an actual move, then hed spit the smoke bombs at her and go from there. Either way, Osaru thought his plan was going on better than in either fo the previous matchese he was in...

[NOTE: Ill keep the poison in mind, I didnt do it this post, cuz i figured it needed a post or so to let it kick in. Just wanted to tell you that im not ignoring the poison lol.

And plz keep in mind Osaru will only do the smoke bombs thing if you try and grab him, punch him, etc]

[OOC: This took far too long to get round to, sorry. I've just been in the final week of my summer job, and it has been crazy busy.

As for the poison, no worries. It has a particular 'number of posts effect' anyway, so I don't mind if it takes a few moments to sink in.]

As Yukiko waited with baited breath, eagerly watching for signs that Shoukou had taken a hold of her opponent, Osaru drew yet more weaponry. This time, what looked like spiked knuckle-dusters. With both those and kunai in each hand, he sprang off from the ground and ran toward Yuki. The Suna Genin knew that the dehydrating poison would have a long-term effect on the Konoha-nin, that even after it had left the system the damage it had done would remain. Though she knew all of this, she was made nervous now that her opponent was not yet succumbing to the toxins. Not another one...he can't be immune to them - surely! She thought anxiously as she prepared a counter to his charge.

The kunoichi crouched down, pressing her hands against the earth below as is about to push off. Letting the exploding tagged kunai hidden underneath her left hand fall, she waited until Osaru was about four metres away. Charging a little chakra to her feet to give her more height, Yukiko leaped directly up and away from the ground. She knew that unless she jumped straight up, Osaru would be able to catch her. Now however, he would have to stop running completely to be able to reach the airborne Genin. That, or he could wait for her to fall. It was admittedly a little risky, considering that the last mid-air encounter had resulted in injury to both parties. That however, was where the exploding tag came in. Provided she had timed it correctly - and she had - to avoid the explosion her opponent would have to move out of striking and out of jumping-and-striking range.

The time she spent 'suspended' in mid-air gave her just a few moments to reflect on the battle. Of course, she was still awaiting Shoukou's pronounced effect, but the match seemed pretty close to call right now. Her opponent was persistent and was able to utilize tactics that the kunoichi of Sunagakure had never seen before. Shaking herself from her own thoughts, she watched the scene unfold below, forming a couple of hand seals herself in preparation for her next move.

[Yeah, i was just gonna let the posts of the poison go once it kicks in, to keep it fair.

And as long as you try, i cant complain. You more active then most people ive RPed with(except maybe Pat lol, but thats cuz hes Pat), so im still greateful about beign able to Rp with someone who gets on on a quasi-daily basis lol

And as a note, Osaru only drew 1 on the knuckles. Sorry about saying 'pair', but i dunno how i would say the singular of that. Its like pants, hwo the singular is 'pair', if you get what im sayin]

Osaru just smiled as the kunoichi crouched down, and leapt up in the air. Osaru figurd this to be another paper bomb trap, so he decided to cut his plan short. Once she leapt up, he started his move sooner. He used his Shunshin technique to come up behind her. Once he did so, he would swing a single punch at her with his spiked knuckles. After the hit hit, or miss or whatever the outcome would be, he would do the same thing: come up behind her and attack again. He would continue to do this for a while, changng the pattern though. Moving to her left instead of behind her here, swinging two punches at her, one with each hand. He would do this about a dozen tiems or so, and then end it with a single stab in the back with the kunai in his left hand. If she tried to dodge it, he would try to stab her somewhere before dis-engaging the fight. If she tried to counter-attack it still, then he would spit the smoke bomb at her and throw the kunai with the tag around the handle. Either way, he hoped she would fall for the trap.

Nonetheless, after the disengagement, he would land on the ground and try and catch his breath. He would then notice that he was parched, jsut a little though. That last battle didnt seem to take that much out of me..? he would think, confused and slightly scared. He didnt know, yet, that the kunoichi was at hand for this. The kunoichi secretly poisoned him, but he didnt recognize that. For he was not totally aware of his opponent's full caliber, and did not know the extent of her layered traps and techniques. All he knew, was that this battle would not be an easy one, and that both would suffer from it. Only one could be crowned the winner, and the other be the loser; yet both parties would most liekly end up in almost equal condition. Much to Osaru's shame to admit it, he would be equaled, if not conquered, in skill, power and intellect, by his opponent. All he could hope for was that this fight to be favored for him, but even then, it would not end easily or without its share of scars and damage to both sides...

Spoiler:

[Im still leaving my first paragraph open to replies, and fighting and such. I jsut wanted to post what i would do after the confrontation, in case you ddint do anything to reply to my first paragraph(which i doubt), and so i could just get the whole poison thing out of the way, so i dont seem like i god-mod, which i dont. So sorry about the whole, future tense thing. IM also kinda out-of-it and so, my writing generally reflects it lol]

[OOC: Been away for the weekend - no internet, no posts. Back now, obviously. ]

The fight was far from over. Both competitors showed no signs of backing down, tenacious and fierce to the end. Osaru was still holding his own against the poison, but it would not be long before his body felt the dire effects. It was the trump card that Yuki had been holding on to, and all she could do was wait until it took ahold. For now, she had to deal with more fast and dangerous attacks from the male Genin, and her mind could not focus on the toxins for now.

Cursing silently to herself as she noted her opponent's sudden change in stance, the kunoichi watched the fallen tag explode violently below Osaru, the blast finding him only a mere few feet out of range. To make matters worse, the Konoha-nin was practically on top of Yukiko well before a regular jump would have had him arrive. Shunshin again. Lucky me. The kunoichi thought to herself. It was indeed fortunate, as the hand seals Yuki had been forming initiated a technique that would be even more effective now that Osaru was so close. Better still, her opponent was in mid-air, making it all the more difficult for him to manoeuvre out of the situation.

However, this held true for the Suna-nin too, and she was already under attack. Twisting her body as she formed the last couple of seals, she arched her back as the spiked knuckle-duster swiped across her torso. The sharp blades scored a cut on the kunoichi's midriff, the jagged slash in the lower part of her top revealed the bleeding wound. Not deep, but plenty painful enough, Yuki gritted her teeth and pressed through the pain. With her opponent no more than two feet from her she could not afford to miss this opportunity. As Osaru's arm finished its swing, she drew a deep breath. As he prepared to attack again, the young female Genin exhaled. An enormous, voracious blast of wind tore through the short distance in the air toward the Konoha-nin. Unable to see through the shredding stream of wind, Yuki could not see her opponent. She could, however, feel her body being thrown backwards by the recoil of the vicious blast.

As the attack ended, Yuki still could not see her opponent and had no time to check, either. Her arms automatically came down to her sides and she hit the ground with a thud. Her arm muscles buckled under the pressure and they only managed to soften the blow of earth on her back. She rolled backward to absorb a little more of the shock and struggled to her feet. A little dazed and sore, she was able to take a crucial moment to inspect her wound. The gash was still bleeding, and needed to be stemmed. She glanced around quickly for her opponent and seeing no one, she tore the rest of the bottom of her shirt and lashed it around her stomach, halting the blood flow. What had become of Osaru she would find out soon enough. Between that last attack and the poison she had infected him with, she felt a little better about the injuries she herself had sustained.

Spoiler:

Osaru thought all was going well, until his opponent decided on a counter-attack. She blew a storong gust of wind out of his mouth, knocking Osaru back, as well as herself. Osaru landed on teh ground with a expected 'thud', and a small cloud of dust rising upwards from where he landed. He ignored the sharp stinging pain that shot up his left shoulder; the one he landed on; and got up almost immediately after landing. He was used to working with Pain. In fact, this just amount would actaully help Osaru a little. 'A little pain means a lot of gain' as he used to say. He wiped the sweat of his face, and when wiping the area around his mouth, he spat the Smoke bomb he had in there into his left hand. He then laughed a little before sneering 'Thats all you got Kunoichi? I figured Suna's best Genin would be more of a challenge...' He made sure to try and make the words hrt jsut a little. This Genin's taking a lot of abuse... he though. But she still has more chakra, and energy left. Dunno if shed be able to use it, though. Better hurry this up, Osaru...

Osaru took a deep breath in, adn noticed that he was parched. Did that last attack really take that much out of me? he thought. He started to pant a little, somewhat instictivly. He always used to pant when he was dehydrated as a kid. It kinda just grew on him, so he does it even now.He knew that the kunoichi was probably at hand for this, and this most likely was part of her master plan. Osaru knew that she was probably on her way to winning this match. She may have jsut been taking all that damage, cuz she didnt have to dodge it. She probably had something in store for Osaru regarding the poison, and he needed to finish this fight before she did. 'Lets do this...' he said firmly; under his breath so his opponent couldnt hear him.

He kept his weapons, including the hidden smoke bomb, with him, not changing anything. He kept breathing, trying to keep his breath regular and fake not beign affected by the poison. He then charged at his opponent again, not wanting her to get the initiative. He charged her headfirst, like before, feinting a stab jstu before using Shunshin. He then appeared to her left and threw the smoke bomb on the ground where she was standing while actually throwing a punch this time.

After the small capsule exploded, he would do a backflip a few steps worth back and drop the kunai in his left hand on teh ground, then form a few handsigns with just his left hand. The handseals made four duplicates of Osaru. He placed an explosive tag on three of them, on their backsides, under their shirts. These ones would each be armed with a trio of kunai, two with wire and one with an explosive tag attached. The fourth one, would use the Disguise technique, to lok like Karasu, Osaru's raven friend, and fly off. This was all to make it look like Osaru made three clones and flew off as Karasu.

Instead, the real Osaru used Shunshin to move behind one of the trees a good 20 or so meters in front of where the kunoichi was standing, and then he used te disguise technique on himself this time, so he would look like a branch with leaves in the tree. He did this all, so quickly, that the Genin shouldnt be able to notice it; but then again, he doesnt know the full caliber of his opponent, so anything's possible...

Spoiler:

Despite taking the Fuuton technique at point blank range, Osaru was up on his feet relatively quickly. It took a few moments before the kunoichi could see her opponent beyond the debris and dust kicked up from the last attack. When it eventually cleared, she could see the Konoha-nin wincing but otherwise up and ready to continue the fight. Hm. Persistent. She thought to herself. Her opponent's resilience was becoming a problem now, the kunoichi beginning to feel weary but well aware that she needed to wait for the toxins to take full effect. Osaru even found time to taunt the young woman. In response, Yuki simply smiled widely and winked cheekily at the boy. Pleased with her riposte, she turned her attention to the real task at hand.

At last, though it was clear he was trying to conceal them, there were signs that Shoukou had set in. Having practiced with the jutsu plenty of times before now, Yukiko knew even the slightest indication that it had infected a target. Osaru was trying hard to regulate his breathing and still panting. He would be feeling weary at this point, but far worse as the poison's effects increased in potency. Better yet, Yuki knew the damage would be irreversable for the near future and he would have to fight in a weakened state. That in mind, she vowed to put her all into not taking as much damage as she had so far, so that she could see out this match until Osaru could no longer put up a strong enough defence.

Once again, the Konoha-nin charged at Yuki. She was pretty sure what would happen now, and a moment later she was proved right. The male Genin disappeared and reappeared a few feet to the side of the kunoichi, who turned to face him. As her opponent readied a smoke bomb, the Suna-nin caught sight of it and formed a quick couple of seals. As the purple bomb hit the ground, she leaned to one side to avoid the punch her opponent had issued as the smoke had begun to rise. By luck, he did not change the angle with which he struck and the dodge was successful. "Takushiki." Her eyes flared and the irises became silvery white.

The smoke was no longer blocking the Genin's vision, the Takushiki technique giving her clear sight of the arena. The fog was thick and provided perfect cover for the Sunagakure Genin to observe her opponent's actions safely. She watched as he created clones - one of which transformed - tagged the remaining clones, disappeared. Damn. She thought in frustration, unable to follow the body flicker once more. At the very least, she knew that only the real Osaru would remain and that he had to be somewhere. A neat trick, Osaru-san. She thought silently to herself, drawing a single kunai. Wrapping an exploding tag around the handle with one hand, she drew three shuriken with her other hand.

She knew that all she had to do was hit the three tagged clones and just ignore the transformed one. No basic bunshins were able to cause any damage to her, so the raven wouldn't be a problem without a tag attached. She released the three shuriken at the clones - one at each of them. The fourth projectile - the tagged kunai - she flung away behind her. It fell to the ground about thirty metres or so away, the kunoichi leaving it unactivated until the time was right. Of course, this action would be completely hidden by the purple fog still wafting around Yuki. The smoke hid these movements until the kunai emerged, but it wouldn't hide Yuki for long. She tensed her muscles and got into a prepared stance, anticipating a counter attack from her tenacious opponent.

Spoiler:

[EDIT: Sorry about that! PMed you back, now lets just go on with the match so we can finish, eh?]

Osaru watched curiously, as the Kunoichi threw a kunai behind her, landing about 10 meters in front of the tree Osaru was in. When the smoke cleared, he saw that his clones were gone, and the smoke from those tags just now finished clearing up. He knew that the kunoichi must've figured out his trap, and Osaru found that to be a nuisance. Luckily for him, he always had a back-up plan for any tricks that come out of his sleeve, and generally a back-up plan for that back-up plan too. Osaru found his 'ultimate plan' as he called it, foolproof. There was only way that you could avoid the long-term trap, and that was to eliminate Osaru himself, and even then he could most likely set it off. He knew that the kunoichi could do all she wanted to, but Osaru was too stubborn to let her get away with ruining his trap. He knew what he had to do.

He Shunshin'ed out of the tree, and reverted back to his normal self in the process. He landed behind where the kunoichi was, between her and her kunai, though far closer to the former then the latter. He then drew another paper bomb, and threw it on teh ground. He then jumped, activated the bomb, and then flew along with the explosion, riding high and using an infinitesimal amount of his chakra to help. He drew another trio of kunai, these ones with ninja wire attached, and paper bombs attached to the handle. He hid the smoke in his mouth, as he wiped the dirt from his face, hoping the kunoichi wouldnt be able to see his hidden movement.

He then smiled, though it was small, it told a lot. It told all who looked upon it that Osaru wasnt planning on losing this and was wiling to do anything to win this match. He would even hurt himself in teh process, if he had to. He knew, deep down inside, that destiny had sent him on a mission, and the mission was to win this match, and the Exams in the process. He was chosen by some fluke of luck to do this; for himself, for his sensei, and for his village too; and he wouldnt lose this. Not for him, not for his sensei, and not for his village. He wouldnt let any of them down. The Sunagakure Kunoichi had chosen the wrong Genin to fight, and she would regret it. This was Osaru's match to win, and to win it, he will.

He then charged at the Genin, just after landing, and would try to get in close to her. He ignored the poison in him, knowing that acknowledging it would only make it worse. He knew he wouldnt last as long as he wished he could, and that could be his downfall; not that he would let that happen of course. He knew that she had a plan in mind, and it most likely went of waiting til Osaru passed out from the poison. He just knew that if that was all she had, then he could win this. He jsut had to win this before the poison got to him. And Osaru knew perfectly well, how to wait his opponent out, so fi that was what she was planning on, Osaru was already one step in front of her. He was confident in his abilities, almost a bit too confident, but confident nonetheless...

Spoiler:

[OOC: No problem; and sure thing. I'd also like to take the time - before I forget - to thank you for this match. It's been pretty darn exciting.]

Whilst waiting in the rapidly clearing purple cloud left by Osaru's smoke bomb, Yukiko managed a small smile as she realised that it had been long enough after her poison's administration that it would reach the peak of its potency very soon, still working its way through her opponent, weakening him far more quickly than before now. Of course, this meant it wouldn't be long before its effects disappeared, but the final stage of the toxin's infection was by far the most detrimental to the victim. Not one to make any assumptions however, Yuki was not about to take anything for granted. Her opponent was still standing and presumably preparing another attack, which meant that the Suna-nin could not lower her guard at all.

The Takushiki allowed her to see through the smoke that was left in the wake of the exploding bunshins. She was surprised to find that Osaru had not attacked using the grey plumes as cover. It was not long after, however, that the young male of Konoha was on the offensive. No sooner had the last wisp of grey black smog dissipated than Yuki heard a swish from behind her and immediately knew that once again, her opponent had used the body flicker to great effect. There was no time to counter whatever attack he had laid on, and the kunoichi had to hope that her instinctual evasion would work out in her favour. Kicking up dirt with the force of her legs, she pushed off in an almost horizontal direction, directly away from the attacker behind her. She landed roughly and felt her wounds throb, but managed to roll to her feet as yet another explosion broke the earth where she had been standing moments before.

Feeling a little of the blast's heat on her soft skin, Yukiko noted that her opponent was just as inventive with his use of explosives as she was. Clearly, he had discovered their indispensable nature too. Scanning the field, still able to see through smoke thanks to the Takushiki technique, she could not see Osaru at first. Then, glancing up, she caught sight of the Konoha-nin and watched his flight through the air until he landed some twenty feet away. Yuki surmised that either chakra or the force of the explosion surely propelled him, as the sheer distance of the jump was astonishing. A knowing smile crossed the kunoichi's face as she stared at the young Genin getting to his feet. The signs were clear. Though Osaru seemed to be making a great effort to ignore it, Shoukou was forcibly drawing the water from his body now. He would be feeling weaker, and Yuki was comforted to learn that she would have this edge in the battle from here on in.

By nature, Yukiko was a tricky, technical shinobi. She liked to think about tactics and plan particular combinations of attacks. With her opponent undoubtedly feeling weary, she felt a rush of adrenaline at the prospect of winning the fight. Mentally controlling her exuberance, she mirrored the daring charge of her opponent, running straight for Osaru. From the stands, it would look like both shinobi were rushing in blindly and foolishly. Yuki did not doubt that her opponent had a plan, but he wasn't the only one. With the both of them charging at each other, the gap between them closed almost instantly. Forming a very short, very fast couple of seals, Yukiko leaped in a diagonal fashion, aiming just above her running target's head. The jutsu kicked in and she disappeared in a plume of smoke. Instantaneously, a kunai fell from the white smoke. It was barely millimetres from the top of Osaru's head and Yuki, hidden elsewhere formed another, single seal. "Kassei!" She said firmly, and the tag wrapped around the handle exploded in a fierce blast of heat, light, smoke, fire and broken earth.

Her opponent lost in the explosion, Yuki's Takushiki took a moment to focus, being obscured a little by the heat of the detonation. The kunai she had left behind a few minutes before had become one of her best placed weapons. The tag detonating as it was practically on top of Osaru...the kunoichi couldn't help but hiding a smile. He wouldn't even have been able to notice it until it was on top of him! A perfect offensive Kawarimi. She silently copngratulated herself, but refused to let her guard down. Despite her opponent's weakened state and the proximity of the explosion to him, she could never be sure of the result. Besides, she was injured in a couple of places herself, and weary from exertion - she could ill afford arrogance.

Spoiler:

Osaru knew that his opponent was going to try and attack him, or at least dodge his attack. He continued to charge, thinking that the game of chicken would end in his favor. He didnt know until later how wrong he was. He continued to charge, runing with all his strength. He knew that the poison would get to him, if it was poison, soon and he didnt have a lot of time left. He ran with all his heart. His basic instincts of surivival kicked in, and so he had that adrenaline boost with him too. Heclenged his kunai and bird claw tighter, with drew them in front of him. He tried to focues his chakra and use Shunshin, but was suprised to find out that it wouldnt work. He realized he stopped in place, and he blacked out for a moment from the dehydration.

He was trapped in a subconcious state fo mind, for waht seemed to him like years. He awoke in a dark world. Black was all around him. He saw himself lying there, on the ground. He seemed to be glowing jsut a little. 'Am... Am i dead?' he asked, to no one in particular. He looked around, noticing the cliche in what was going on. 'I thought this palce was only in books and plays and such. Didnt know this was what happens in real life...' he added.

'This is only a figment of your imagination' a voice said confidently, frm somewhere behind him. Osaru turned around sharply, on to hear the voice add: 'This world is onyl waht you make of it'. Osaru turned around again, this time nervous, scared and a bit frusterated. All those emotions turned to surprise when he saw the figure that spoke in front of him. It was a short old man, with long white hair that was balding up top. He was short, about up to Osaru's shoulder, but had a feeling of strength and wisdom around him. Once again, the cliched figure Osaru's seen in books and plays.

'Who are-' Osaru was cut short, for the old man interupted him. 'Do not worry about that. Finish your fight, before the kunoichi does it for you. When you are done, and you feel ready, seek me out. Until then-' It was his turn to be cut short. Osaru interjected 'But this palce? Wha- How-' he kept saying without finishing his sentences. 'This world is what you make of it, as am i. I trust you will find me in due time. Until then...' and with that, the man vanished. More like faded, but vanished in a sense. Osaru was confused, and slightly frightened by the man. He looked around, dazzled and confused, until the man's words hit him. He was still in the fight!

Osaru came back to reality, and found that he was lying face-up on the ground. He felt the heat from the explosion. He knew that he must've been out for only a few seconds, but that was till a few seconds gone. He never opened his eyes, knowing from Kitsuki battle tactics that one could learn a lot about his surroundings after awakening from a coma or concussion. He kept his eyes closed, breathing steady and slower then usual, and body still as could be. He would wait to see what his opponent's reaction woudl be. He just ignored the pain, the near-fatal dehydration, and his pride that he fell for such a simple technique, though it was entirely his fault. He just knew that the kunoichi would pay for this. Pay dearly...

I regretfully have to end this match for it's taken so long to finish these exams.

Fairly, I call it a tie, if you ever meet in roleplay again, it continued that you both ran out of chakra and fainted of exhaustion, causing a tie.

Congratulations on making it so far.

Stay tuned on the announcements to see who has passed this round of exams.