Their training sessions had very clearly turned into something more, a desperate attempt at both ends to stand atop the precipice of victory after having brought their respective instruments to bear. As the sand raged upward and onward, it seemed that Nomura was becoming more accustomed to combating it. It simply meant that the Hyuuga was nowhere near as adept as he'd have liked to be. The sudden attempt forward hadn't escaped the sight of the Byakugan. Quite the opposite, though it meant little in the way of dodging the incoming attack. His chakra dipped into a dangerous place, the sand beginning to wane beneath the confines of his control. His last attempt? Utilize what was left in the tank and throw a hail mary into the distance of effort.
The sandbag had been just enough of a distraction for a few handseals. Suddenly, what separated them was now forming into a pillar, suddenly firing upward in a thick slab of hardened sand that was meant to drive the swordsman off of his feet. A guttural growl unleashed from his belly, the Hyuuga had been counting on striking Benkei square between his legs. As the two closed distance and collided, however, it had seemed that it was his intent all the same.
Both attacks struck with simultaneous proportion, the Byakugan instantly disengaged as a hard exhalation was forced from his lungs. Pain rose to the forefront of his every thought as he was thrown backward, the sudden lurch providing additional offense in the form of an unintended headbutt. Time slowed to a crawl as Asura flew through the air, slamming into the earth and skidding to a halt. One might have sworn that a "K.O." symbol was floating somewhere above the pair..
Makoto's expectations remained seemingly out of reach for the Hyuuga. As Asura listened once more, a small shake of his head was almost warranted at her counsel. If it was an early grave that she desired for them, she could have simply stated that. Asura continued to feel the pain of their endeavors as he rubbed here, stretched there. "I'll be in remembrance of your words the next time we aim to go into an exercise." His words were hollow. He understood well his place as a Chuunin. But when he had reached his limits, even Asura knew that fighting until the end was all that they had left.
At least she had acknowledged his attempt to accomplish the task before them by any means necessary. But not even the combined efforts of their Jyuuken had stalled their Jounin long enough for it to benefit them. "By your leave, I need to rest. I can barely stand," Asura confessed. There was far more to the inward weight of his words. But he had failed. And with all failures, he needed to lick his wounds and study the day's lesson. This, he said inwardly, would not happen again.
Asura bit his tongue in response to Makoto's words. There was little in the way of ministration that they possessed to have overcome the onslaught. Even at the desperate attempt on the Hyuuga's part to use Tsukiya as a hostage tactic, she had persisted in her efforts. "Apparently, you'd be willing to sacrifice the life of your Genin to complete the objective," he bit out in frustration. A hand rubbed his head in response to her reprimand, wincing as he stretched slightly. His loyalty was unmatched, unquestioned. Why, then, did it feel as though his actions hadn't been enough to convey just how far he'd have been willing to go?
Of course, it was the beast within that had pushed him off of the precipice of preservation to begin with. A soft sigh was all that was revelation to his ministrations. Asura shook his head as he stood upright, allowing his arms to remain at his sides. Full agreement with Tsukiya was accentuated with a soft nod. "We never gave up the scrolls. To our dying breath, right?" the Hyuuga questioned. They'd been through much and more on this training exercises. Certain that he was bleeding in places and bruised - broken - in others, Asura fell silent in the wake of what he knew was coming next: either another painful hit, or a voice louder than thunder.
How quickly they'd transitioned from casual conversation to an uproar of combat. There was little regard for their safety. At least, not when the anger betwixt them continued to grow in flame. No longer was it a sparring session. It was them at their greatest effort, the sand rushing along the ground and gathering once more as the Hyuuga stayed agile. Where Asura aimed to create distance, Nomura was more than happy to close the gap. It was when he slipped through the sand and taunted the Chuunin that lips curled upward into a malevolent grin. As you wish.
Asura's foot gave an instant kinetic energy as he stood, a kick of strong proportion sending the bag of sand upward and between them. A defensive structure while it was in the air, further handseals boasted more than an act of desperation. No, this was strategy. Of course, Nomura could assist him in cleaving the bag in twain and yielding an immediate supply of sand to manipulate. Alternatively, he'd find that turning his back on the mass of sand behind him would be a negligence that Asura wouldn't allow him to forget.
From behind Benkei did a pillar of sand rush toward his back, aimed to overwhelm and force him forward. Asura's form, enhanced by the Byakugan's prowess, would consequently create an angular dodge to further distance himself from melee range. "Impressive enough!?" the Hyuuga bit out, his chakra descending into dangerous territory as he maneuvered. Had he resorted to Jyuken, their bout would have spoken of a different tale. This, however, was a new avenue to be explored.
They continued their elaborate dance, the air thick with tension as combat ensued. Nomura would respect his progress, his attempts to aggravate Asura be damned.
It was the only acknowledgement of his obscured morality that ears would received. Simultaneously, a crossbow of medium size was inspected as Asura dragged himself to an adjacent tree. "A dead bear would make me feel great about everything," the Hyuuga trailed off. Bark and foliage were disturbed as the Chuunin climbed - a jump was out of the question for the moment. Settling in to his newfound hiding place, two fingers reached into his inventory and retrieved two food pills. "Catch!" Asura muttered, tossing one of them to Nomura's hands. Hurriedly, fingers worked to adjust the crossbow with one of three bolts that he'd retrieved. It was foreign to him, taking seconds to properly seat the projectile as the roar forced a shudder down his form.
It hadn't been lost on him, the difference in rank and yet the necessity of foregoing such protocol in order to survive. From his perch, Asura managed to summon enough chakra to activate his Byakugan. Once more, veins protruded as he slowed his breathing in an attmpt to calm himself. He had committed the information from the parchment to memory. But as the sound of paw and maw grew louder, there was no time to converse or strategize with the swordsman. They only had their own wit, their own instinct to prevail. His heart's pace was rapid, a now unkempt Hyuuga pulling the crossbow into position. As their quarry grew closer, the only hope was in the element of surprise.
The plan hatched, Asura need only wait for the bear to draw close to the bodies and take from their flesh what it would. As fresh as they were, the Chuunin was banking on the enticing meal granting them a quick and hopefully effortless assault. Otherwise, Asura surmised, it was going to be a long evening.
Defeat had been inevitable. Such understanding drew Asura to sit up, foliage and water rendering him a drenched Chuunin. As he brushed stray leaves and twig from his form, the pain that had been dampened by his adrenaline was now coming full force. The Hyuuga grit his teeth as he lifted a hand, catching the food pill and immediately popping it betwixt his lips. There was no frustration, no anger, no animosity as he stood. There was only the knowledge that he had given everything he had. Regardless of whether or not Tsukiya appreciated him using his own form as a defense, Asura mimicked his action and retrieved his scroll for Makoto to view.
"Death awaits us all," Asura began. His countenance tipped north, he took a deep breath. "It's the life we chose when we put the headband on." There was an absolute understanding in his voice. For all of the pain that he had endured, there was no visible sign of compromise aside from the obvious scratches, bruises, cuts they'd received from their Jounin and her kin. Yet again, Tsukiya had vanished from Asura's attention. He merely stood statuesque, soaked and poised to receive the reprimand and instruction that their Superior was undoubtedly going to give them.
The Hyuuga was poised for yet another attack, taking note of Nobu's very form. As the Genin withdrew, an almost imperceptible anger grew etched across Asura's features. "Well..?" the question trailed off. From his left foot he sprang, the distance between them yet again closed at a moment's notice as Asura's fingers began their journey. An elaborate dance born out of rigorous training was put on display as Asura lashed out. The intensity of his blows grew increasingly powerful as he assaulted Nobu, a shift in his stance creating a difficult opportunity to seize a counterattack.
There was an almost predatory growl as the Hyuuga fell into his onslaught, determined to pin the Genin before him to the wall in chaos and defenseless positioning. And yet, there was no response from Nobu - only preparation. Such understandings were paramount if he were to survive their training session. The very floor beneath them buzzed to life as the Hyuuga struck out at him, seemingly random in placement but meticulous in execution.
Heavy breathing continued as the Hyuuga lay upon his back, eyes staring up and into the foliage with a slightly disoriented status. They had managed to escape death multiple times in the skirmish, the Hyuuga clutching the spoils of victory. "D-documents..!" Asura managed, rolling over and pulling himself to stand. Sweat trickled from his chin as he used a nearby tree to lean against, a single eye closed until he swiped at it with a forearm to rid himself of the sting of exhaustion. "Poachers," the Chuunin began, shuffling and staggering slightly toward Nomura's position. "Looks like they were hanging around in the area hoping for another kill. But it's anyone's guess if there's ano-!!" [break][break] As if on cue, the very next sound that was audible confirmed the parchment's information. A deep shudder ran through the Hyuuga's form as the bear's roar vibrated the atmosphere. Asura stopped in his tracks, eyes widening to a degree as he stared in Nomura's direction. They were in no position to engage the beast without a plan, let alone attacking it and only hoping to survive. The Kirigakure shinobi quickly surveyed their surroundings. The fact that Nomura yet stood was testament enough to his ability to move. [break][break] Quickly, Asura surmised that the dead laying at their feet had come prepared for such a beast. With that in mind, the Hyuuga took to gathering their weaponry along with what arrows remained. "If we want to avoid looking like the first bear we saw before we got here, we better move." The Hyuuga muttered the words, hoping that he was barely audible to the beast that undoubtedly lurked. "....But first.." the Hyuuga trailed off. [break][break] The lifeless bodies were gathered one by one, as quickly as Asura could manage. Piled together, he had hoped that the fresh corpses would be enough to deter his pursuit. [break][break] It was nowhere near his proudest moment, but survival was survival.
They were fully engaged, the notion of withdrawal a fleeting thought as waves of sand coalesced to form a defensive outcome for the Hyuuga. Nomura's words were fuel to the flame as Asura continued, the immediate vicinity a playground for his ocular power. Admittedly, the upkeep of chakra for the Byakugan was a miniscule one. However, the chakra used to control sand was another matter entirely. So much so that Nomura was able to physically thwart his structures, the grains exploding away as the swordsman sought to close the gap once more.
"BOTH!!" Asura roared in exclamation to the question. To those uninitiated, Nomura's attack would have struck true with little resistance. But he had pit himself against the Byakugan, and the Chuunin was prepared to handle the approach. Handseals were performed as he continued to move, the sand now gathered between them rushing upward in the form of another wall. This one was barely able to defend, the Hyuuga creating an evasive maneuver with a jump in the opposite direction of the blade's travel. The Genin would find his blade not only halted in momentum, but beginning its first stages of being swallowed into the sand's grip.
A skid along the earth saw Asura to another bag of sand, placing his hand against its hard surface so as to yield no extra chakra expenditure. Simultaneously, the sand around his feet began their attempt to wrap about his ankles. The Chuunin's growl of defiance seemingly echoed about the battlefield as he summoned the reserves from stray bags. Neither of them, he surmised, would yield.
The Hyuuga beat back the beast within as Makoto continued her assault, careless in the matter of the kunai that had been wedged between her continued attacks and Tsukiya's very life. Asura grit his teeth as the very last resort had failed, withdrawing his kunai in favor of kinetic energy. As the Inuzuka's attacks continued to pile on, the Chuunin rolled over until Tsukiya's form was hidden beneath the protective barrier of his form. Bite and tug as they please, the Hyuuga would not yield his kin to danger. He remained there with grit teeth, each attack relinquishing responsibility to Tsukiya.
He could feel himself slipping into unconsciousness...
The entirety of their efforts had been futile. As the explosion rocked the immediate vicinity about them, eyes narrowed as the Hyuuga lofted both arms in a desperate attempt to circumvent greater harm. He could feel the sting of water and small debris, the shroud of Makoto's ministrations obscuring the Chuunin's ability to think. There was only instinct, the will to survive, the bestial nature of a young man who fought between the acceptance of comradery and selfish desire. To that end, the coin stood upon its edge.
Asura would succumb to both. Moments in history had been defined by the impossible, the unseen. As Tsukiya flew toward his position, Asura could do naught but roar out in defiance as he was struck by the ferocity of his Hyuuga kin's travel. Backward he was sent, sandals leaving the water and parallel to earth as he flew. The sensation of pain was far greater than he had anticipated, the wind nearly knocked from his lungs as time slowed to a crawl. He clutched onto Tsukiya, the Genin's back pressed hard to his chest as Asura slammed into the waters meters behind them and skid along the pond's length.
Soaked, the Hyuuga lay upon his back and maintained his grip upon Tsukiya's being. There was no chakra left with which to defend. There was no out positioning their Jounin. In those fleeting moments of hopelessness, Asura had found his only method of escape with no less than necessity the mother of his unthinkable invention.
Grit teeth shown visibly as Tsukiya found a kunai at his throat. Its edge bore down upon his epidermis with a threatening pressure, Asura's Byakugan persisting just barely in the wake of Makoto's attack. He clutched onto Tsukiya's form, legs tangled so as to deprive the Genin of an escape route.
There it was. The precipice of humanity, the teeter-totter between survival and sacrifice. Labored breathing was forced out and into the air as the pair lay in the water, Asura's eyes narrowed and frantically searching for Makoto's approach.
In this life, shinobi would be tried and tested. If nothing else, Asura was a survivor.
The only guarantees provided by this life were death and hardship, both of which the Hyuuga delivered as he so suddenly stepped into a forward palm strike. Already, the speed of a Jyuuken practitioner was manifest betwixt kinetic energy and impact. Muscles tensed, blood and chakra rose and roared as Asura aimed to strike Nobukatsu square at the center of his chest. Eyebrows furrowed visibly, his form poised for additional maneuvers as his appendage lashed out with no less than an Apprentice precision.
How insulting that the Hyuuga hadn't initiated his Kekkei Genkai's greatest treasure. Or perhaps it was fortunate for his target. Should he have willed it, the pending strike would have yielded a far more dangerous result through the Gentle Fist technique. He had to, at least, give a modicum of mercy to the unworthy Genin in front of him. Such was his palm strike that it was meant to drive through Nobukatsu and not at him.
Parry or evade, the Chuunin Hyuuga maintained a firm stance and paused after the apex of his attempt. "Shall I give you despair?" Asura asked, chin dipping low as silver draped his visage.
The White Tiger of Kirigakure seemed to tear himself from the very shadows offered by the dojo, his slow footsteps almost completely mute. Feline eyes peered out and toward the center of the establishment, his very presence eerie and all-consuming. Long, flowing locks of silver shifted with a silken ebb and flow as he ambled forward, a predatory stare falling upon Nobukatsu as he approached. The summons he'd received had been a call to training. Neither the Dossier or the word of mouth had done the Genin any favors. And it was in those moments of judgement that the Hyuuga deemed Mizuno unworthy, a stain, a blemish upon the shinobi name. Deep beneath the surface, the beast's nostrils flared to life - fresh meat.
Asura's head dipped low as he took his place meters away from Nobukatsu, lips parting after seconds to offer him greeting. "You the Genin that requested help with your training?" the Hyuuga asked. Despite the air about him, his very tone was practiced, appropriate, helpful in its inquiry. His very stance offered a methodical appearance, weight even distributed between appendages as he stared down at the young frame in front of him.
"I am Hyuuga Asura. I've been instructed to assist you."
One could only have wondered the peril involved behind such a revelation.
Labored breathing prevailed, the entirety of his form shaken and bruised as debris, terra fell in a shower about him. The disoriented Hyuuga struggled to stand, wincing in pain and exhaustion. He could hardly celebrate the fruits of his labor as he staggered, sweat causing his silver locks to rest matted against his countenance. Sheer force of will allowed him to evade an incoming arrow, the projectile's audible proportions so close to his ear that he'd barely dodged its lethal intent.
The Byakugan was able to gather intel as Asura broke out into a desperate sprint. Beads of sweat trickled from his chin as he sought out the target of his kunai just moments before. Having spotted his quarry easily, Asura only hoped that Nomura's efforts would be enough as he measured the distance and slid to his knees near his wounded assailant. "Talk! Why did you attack us!?" Asura gasped, clutching the kunai and forcing the dying hunter to writhe and shout in pain. "Argh!! F-fucking ninja..!" A cough yielded blood as he squirmed. "W-we...we have to m-make money, too....wh-who gives a shit....about a bear!"
Asura's eyes narrowed, his hands leaving the kunai and searching pockets for intel. A piece of parchment, tattered and wrinkled, was pulled from the hunter's coat pocket. A momentary inspection to confirm its relevance, and the Hyuuga pounded down and into the kunai to drive them further into the now lifeless corpse's abdomen.
Nomura's own efforts were met with ferocity as his own target readied and fired arrow after arrow. Narrowly dodging, the frustration in his eyes only accentuated the vulgarities shouted as the swordsman advanced. A desperate maneuver forced him to draw upon his own blade - unsheathed and screaming through the air as he slashed at the Genin's head. A narrow miss, the edge of his sword meeting no resistance as it swiped overhead. A miss.
An exclamation of terror and pain rang out through the forest as flesh parted, scarlet spraying forward as death wrapped its frigid fingers about the hunter's soul. Writhing, spasming, the sheer force of Nomura's attack forced the corpse's form backward. A thud upon the ground. The soft sound of blade falling to the terra below. All fell quiet in the following moments, naught but labored breathing audible between the two.
Asura fell upon his back, the Byakugan disengaged as he took deep breaths and stared up into the foliage of the trees above. "....Too close..."
Like a thin, frayed knot, the restraints of the beast within were snapped with ease. The plunge had rewarded him with a carnal desire, a twist of impatience that sewn shut the mouth of reason. The exclamation of Nomura's agreement was followed by swifter handseals, this time the sand shifting with greater speed and joining the fray from the Hyuuga's southern flank. The waves converged in a defensive manner, rushing upward from beneath him with an intensity, a speed born from defiance and instinct. While his sparring partner's attempt was one of swift maneuver, the Hyuuga had ensured the proximity of the sandbags and his advantage in drawing closer to them. The movement was accentuated with a kick backward from his foot, placing distance betwixt himself and the impressive attempt at slicing into his flesh.
A twisted grin etched itself upon the Hyuuga's features as he landed meters away, crouching and placing hands against the bags beneath. It only took moments, a wall of defense erected and designed to force Nomura into a stagger backward. "Hardly!" Asura exclaimed with a guttural growl. "I simply have -confidence-!!" The words were followed by tendrils of sand that circled the wall, an effort to restrain Nomura's limbs.
And so it began, the intensity of their training manifest in those initial movements. Asura's breaths were hard, forceful and signifying the enjoyment of adrenaline beginning to course his veins. Nomura had unknowingly opened the cage, the Chuunin grateful and hosting a certain passion within the Byakugan that displayed itself as the veins bulged and protruded from his countenance.
Before long, each bag of sand would be empty, its contents surrendering to the will of Asura's intent. He would be drained of chakra by the end, of this he was certain. Still, Asura thought with delight, it was going to be well worth the exhaustion.
