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 Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 10:56 am
The shadow clone continued to walk both girls towards the cave's exit. There was a tornado jutsu just outside of it, he wasn't able to advance forward until Iri dispelled it.
The shadow clone that was outside shouted up to Iri.
"THEY'RE COMING OUT, GET READY FOR THAT JII-SAMA GUY."
The real Tier had relocated himself in a different position, but he was still within reach of the girls if something happened.
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Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 11:04 am
((I was under the impression that it was just sucking the air out of the cave, and Neko being outside, would be unaffected. My bad X.x))
Neko's form flickers, and he appears behind Iri, coughing and gasping just a bit. He had matched Iri's height, and was standing about five feet behind her, staying aloft by only the force of his chakra. The girls' screams must've escaped his ears, as he didn't seem too concerned.
"And I'm sure that I am the first person on that list of suspects. If I wanted revenge or something stupid like that, why would I have run in the first place, huh? Diplomacy is never excluded this early in a battle, Iri, and you damn well know it, now leave us, or I will be forced to defend my home, and so help me God, woman, I won't hold anything back. I don't have anything to lose this time."
He was speaking through his teeth by the end of his speech with his eyes wide in anger, and the force the chakra he was exhuming was palpable now, even threatening to throw Iri's flight off, even though not a lick of the familiar blue energy could be seen.
Something else was off. Neko was openly displaying emotion. Any time anyone saw him, he was always calm and collected, even when Kaimen threatened the dojo, and even when he took it away, but the emotion in his voice and on his face was very real, and very scary, to those who knew of him.
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Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 11:46 am
(( That was the point of the second circle of air. She used the first one to suck the air out of the cave, and circled the perimeter of the cave to keep air from re-entering and help prevent escape. Tis cool, though! I'll have to work on the description of that technique. ^_^ ))
A shiver runs up Iri's spine. The sudden proximity is immediately felt. She listens to him, not needing to look at him to realize he's losing his grip on his emotions like Iri's never seen him do. That sets the mission objective in her mind.
"Nothing to lose, eh? There is always something to lose, Nekojiri. For the moment, I think you should come home and rest. You really don't sound like yourself."
A burst of air explodes from Iri's person. It's not an attack. Rather, it's a method of getting distance from Neko. Then she closes her wings, arches her back, and uses another burst of air to rapidly lose altitude. At the same time, the two tornadoes waver and then collapse. Air suddenly floods the cave and the surrounding area. Tier is free to move out. Iri watches Neko all the while, her naginata in one hand and one fan now clenched in the other.
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Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 1:05 pm
"Heeheeheeheeheeheehahahaha"
Neko laughed, some would call it wickedly, as he dropped, expertly closing the distance Iri was fighting to get.
"Dear, I don't think you understand. The girls are toying with your partner, and they can very well take care of themselves. My life is forfeit. I have nothing. I don't like to fight. It's barbaric. You've lost your chance, now just leave."
He started to contradict himself, and it seemed he was perfectly aware of it as he followed Iri, a twisted smile emerging from his anger. Iri's sight would blur as the illusion fell. Neko would appear to be in peak condition, his tattered cloak being replaced with a brilliant white one, flecked with spots of black. His left arm was complete, and heavily armored, as was his chest, and his shoulders, covered in steel plate, a shortsword affixed to his right pauldron.
The girls still followed Tier along exactly, though Syn grinned and stuck her tongue out as the air rushed back into the cave, pulling her lower eyelid down, taunting Tier's clone.
If Tier were to check his instruments again, he would sense a surprising number of significant lifeforms, though his eyes would betray him. All of Neko's immediate forces, nearly six squadrons worth, were still hidden under Syn's illusion, even though she forfeited the focus to keep Tier from reading his display correctly to make the rude gesture.
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Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 1:46 pm
The shadow clone outside the cave looked up to Neko, he couldn't reach him if they were in the sky. Instead, the shadow clone met up with the other clone that was escorting the two girls.
The other shadow clone that was bringing the girls out started to pick up speed. It broke out into a run as the two girls continued to copy in front of him. Tier was well aware of the situation at hand, and it was perfect. The two out of three targets were already in the forest. Everyone was covered in shadows from the foliage above except Neko.
Tier assumed Iri would be able to handle Neko for now until the girls were out of range.
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Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 1:50 pm
Violet eyes narrow. Other than that, Iri seals her emotions away under a placid mask. The distance isn't that important. She had figured Neko would swiftly close it. What she hadn't wanted was him at her back at the beginning of the fight.
"So, tell me something, Neko." Her voice is flat, betraying as little as her expressions. "What went so wrong that you're willing to use children as weapons of psychological warfare? It's becoming apparent that your mind is f***ed, but I'd still like to know what kind of trauma can so drastically change a person."
Both wings open just a little. It isn't enough to slow her descent. She's preparing for something else. At the same time, she's analyzing Neko. Of course he had been in perfect condition. Though she had hoped him to be as he had seemed, her realistic side had known to expect this. Another reason she would have liked to have left while she had the chance.
"Tier, the girls are more than what they seem. Don't let your guard down. Syn is an excellent illusionist."
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Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 2:17 pm
((Sorry for GMing a little, Tier. I wanted to keep the secret as long as I could, so I went along with it. ^^; ))
"Tch"
He scoffs, grinning.
"Those 'children' are older then both of us put together, Iri."
In the forest, the girls were following obediently, for the most part. When they began to stray too far from Neko, Luna looked back up at him, and her form dissipated, the wind carrying her body away like it was smoke. Syn glanced at her, then stopped in front of Tier and turned around, pouting. The shadow technique, if it was doing anything, wasn't doing enough. These girls were not much more than spirits temporarily manifest.
"Luna's no fun. She rushes back To Jii-Sama any time they're separated. She's such a baby..."
"I'm sure Syn's told you of her father? The one who never came back from war? Well this is the father's armor, and there's a neat little legend behind it, along with that plant you found. You see, Luna.."
As he said this, a purple sort of energy, not exactly chakra, zipped through the air, and soaked into Neko's armor.
"She was the good girl, who wanted nothing more to protect her father like the armor couldn't. Syn, however, wanted to avenge her father before she joined him. She killed Luna, so they could be reunited, then took it upon herself to go and poison entire garrisons of the enemy army, using that plant you've encountered.
It was horrible, they were so out of it that nearly the entire army was slaughtered, and they lost the war. Whatever powers that may be decided that Syn's passion would be better under their control, so she's become what some call "The Maiden of Warrior's Lament" after she ended her life, and has taken on the properties of the plant so named. She, and her sister, are demons, bound to this armor, so before you go chastising me for hiding behind children, open your eyes to the truth."
Neko's grin faded, and he took on a sort-of whimsical demeanor, as if he wasn't concerned in the least.
"I've made no attacks on the Academy, nor have I ordered any. Syn is merely curious, and has strayed too far. You have my apologies, and any information Kaimen might want. Now leave."
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Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 2:31 pm
((TIER CAN NEVER FORGIVE YOU.)) " ! "
His shadow binding had connected, Tier was sure of it. Both shadow clones stopped running and stared at Luna disappear into the air. Their sights were set on Syn now. The information was being sent back to the original Tier.
Then how can she trick mein thermal sensors..
He thought to himself.
One of the shadow clone's exoskeleton started to glow yellow as the other one was taking a step back away from Syn. This was a trap, and there were people hidden in the forest along with Tier. He could read their chakra signatures and thermal signs, those were his tools to detect through a Genjutsu.
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Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 2:44 pm
"The visions of bloody battlefields," she mutters to herself. "Syn standing in the middle of it all..."
The avain's face stays placid. Underneath, she's thinking this over. The order was to capture "Jii-Sama" and the children. As it turns out, capturing the children would mean capturing Nekojiri's armor and him along with it. Good luck doing that. Syn seems to still be well capable of casting her illusions, despite everything Iri and Tier have done. What can they do? Iri just doesn't see a way to victory.
Iri turns her head so she can see the ground, scouting out Tier's clones. At the same time, she makes sure Neko stays within her peripheral vision.
"Tier, I think we need a new plan. Neko says there was no planned attack. Syn ventured out on her own. She's part of the armor he's wearing. Considering his history, I doubt we're going to win this one. I realize this could be a rare opportunity, but things aren't looking good. He's giving us the chance to leave unharmed. I really think we should take it and report back to Kaimen. At least we have some information we can give him."
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Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 2:53 pm
((Nuuuu ;-; ))
Neko's form flickers, accompanied by a dull metallic scraping sound. He moved directly in front of Iri, his head hung over her shoulder so his mouth was just a few inches from her ear as he spoke softly. She could feel his cold breath roll with each word.
"Perhaps you should have planned better. I've been more than a gracious host, dear. Be sure to send Kaimen my regards, and let him know that I won't be starting any crusades against him, I just want my solitude."
"You're fun to mess with, Mr. Yellow. Like one of those roo-box cubes."
Syn stumbled on the unfamiliar word and grinned happily as Tier mobilized.
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Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:00 pm
Artillery: Nation Detonation
The glowing shadow clone suddenly tossed himself at Syn as the exoskeleton detonated in a giant explosion that covered several yards. He was testing Iri's claim that these weren't normal girls. The explosion was strong enough to kill a normal human.
The other shadow clone pointed up in the sky at Neko when he was out of range of the explosion, "HEAR TIER'S WORDS." The clone shouted.
"YOUR GHOST STORIES CAN'T SAVE YOU. THE SHINOBI OF THE GAIAN NINJA ACADEMY WILL TAKE YOU IN AS ORDERED.
PREPARE YOURSELF."
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Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:09 pm
(( Leaving for a few hours now. Must get to town and train at the do-jang! ^_^ ))
Iri's placid mask breaks that time, her eyes growing wide and another shiver going up her spine.
"Eheheh," she nervously laughs. "What I get for rushing into things."
Both wings snap open. Iri's descent slows just above the tree line. Then she arcs again and speeds off in the direction of the Kaze Dojo. She looks down into the trees, trying to find Tier. Unfortunately, she's going over him just as the clone explodes. With a rush of hot air, Iri is forced up and her wings blown back until they slap each other. The woman spins out of control, and is lucky to catch a branch instead of being impaled on one.
Hanging from a branch, clenching her weapons and the tree at the same time, Iri shouts, "You crazy son of a b*tch! Can't you just take my word for it!?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:18 pm
Syn tries to react to Tier's attack, but is too slow. She's swallowed by the explosion, and as it clears, Tier could see that her charred body remained on the ground, devoid of life.
A blink.
"It's been fun, Mr. Yellow, but Jii-Sama is calling me back. See you later~!
The body was still on the ground, but Syn was standing behind it without a scratch. She flashed a wicked grin at Tier, and was swept away by the wind, just like her sister.
Neko dropped slowly to the ground, standing on the edge of the cliff the cave was set into with his arms crossed, watching the forest intently, focused on Tier as Motoko broke out of the illusion, and came to stand next to him, scanning over the area.
"Just those two, sir."
"They're not worth it. I won't have a moment of peace if this turns into a brawl. Tell your men to hold steady until ordered otherwise."
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Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:34 pm
An intelligent Genjutsu user indeed. Tier still wasn't convinced they were ghosts that were bound to armor. There was always an explanation for happenings like this. She probably used a real body for her replacement in the explosion. Tier didn't know Iri was passing over the clone that was about to explode, otherwise he would have stopped it.
The shadow clone turns to watch Neko land on top of the cliff as he spots a second stranger appeared next to him. The shadow clone opened his arms wide as if waiting for a comeback.
"KEKEKE, COWARD! RUN FROM TIER WHILE YOU CAN, BUT YOU WILL BE CAPTURED AT THE END OF THE DAY."
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Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 7:56 pm
Both wings come up to rest atop the tree branch. With the added strength of the feathered appendages, Iri heaves herself up and over the branch to perch on it. She tosses her head, getting her mane of hair out of her face. Then she gives her wings a few flaps to insure their condition. Finally, she turns to look at the other clone.
"Oi! Following orders is great 'n all, but I know my limits. If you wanna hang around, by all means, do so. As for me, I choose to retreat and live to fight another day. Ciao!"
Iri jumps, flaps, and starts once again in the direction of her dojo. Occasionally, she looks over her shoulder. She really hopes the crazy b*****d follows her.
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