[Kaguya Toru]

I would know him in death At the end of the world Sourei Kobashi Shouki Kumori Sora Minami

The party of three seemed to be a bit confused at first, but then suspicions started to grow slowly their temperaments kept them cool but it was clear that they were not in any normal situation. It was hard to discern for the crew since none of them were truly sensors and aside from that none of them were practitioners of anything but the physical.

Kobashi tripped, which was quite unshinobi like of him. However his suspicions as he wrote illusion upon the ground and performed kai seemed to release him from whatever was holding him. The scenery did not change, but the way ahead seemed clearer now at least for Kobashi. Still the trio had spent up to an hour already wandering the forest on an almost repetitive cycle.

What would the other two do, would they believe Kobashi or try to continue their trek forward without heeding his warning.

There was still no sign of a battle, and no sounds that were out of the ordinary for Kumori to hear. Which meant someone was exceptionally good at hiding, and they could have very well already walked into a trap. Worse yet, they had no way of figuring it out at the moment. Someone was good at their job it seemed. Perhaps too good, and it would require a bit more investigation.

SPOILER: Click to show

Kobashi has exited the genjutsu Kori Shinchū no Jutsu - [Sly Mind Affect Technique]; however the wandering has cost the crew an hour of their time. Sora and Kumori are still in the genjutsu and do not yet see the way forward. Kobashi may choose to investigate the surroundings - if he dares - for the perpetrator of their wandering, though he may end up empty-handed.

OWL

[Sora Minami]

On some level, perhaps at the base part of her brain where the animal instincts and functions ruled, Sora knew something was off. It wasn’t the neverending drudgery of the trip that bothered her- it was the sameness of everything, as if the whole world had been reduced down to a single ten minute cross-section of forest that looped itself endlessly, turning everything into a colossal drag. So when Kobashi tripped, stumbling over himself in a fashion that was horribly uncharacteristic of him, the Jounin took notice… and immediately understood what the kanji scribbled in the dirt meant. Genjutsu. I fucking hate Genjutsu.

Without waiting for the others to act, Sora immediately formed a single hand seal and focused the flow of her chakra into overdrive, pushing it out in order to snap herself out of the Genjutsu. Regardless of whether or not it worked, the Jounin quickly did the same for Kumori, injecting her own chakra into the older Shinobi with a quick touch, likely freeing him as well, though of course only he’d be able to tell.

If her Kai’s succeeded, however, Sora would turn to her comrades and gesture with her eyes to the woods; a Genjutsu user couldn’t stray too far from their targets, not if they wanted to continue affecting them, so it was possible that the enemy was still relatively close by. They wouldn’t have much time though, so they’d have to decide- pursue or push on? Her vote would have been to pursue but… well. Genjutsu was something she had little experience dealing with effectively. Really ought to work on that.

Jutsu/SA's/Equipment Used

SPOILER: Click to show

Shouki Kumori Sourei Kobashi Kaguya Toru
Jutsu: NAME: Kai [Release]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Very Low- High Depending on the rank of the genjutsu
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [General]
ELEMENT: None
HANDSEALS: 1
DESCRIPTION: Kai is a technique invented to counteract the targeting of Genjutsu, working by halting one's chakra flow with a hand seal before drastically increasing the rate of chakra flow within oneself, forcing the opposing chakra out of the body. This can also be used on another person by manually forcing a surge of chakra into their body through direct contact, breaking them of their mesmerized state. One's skill to break an illusion depends on their skill and understanding of Genjutsu, as some may prove too powerful to escape by conventional means.

Special Abilities:
The Kunoichi That Goes On And On And On… [Endurance SA]
Perhaps part of her genetics or simply a random quirk of fate, Sora is unnaturally resilient, be it to physical pain or the toils of extended combat. While most Shinobi would collapse in exhaustion at having used all but the smallest sliver of their chakra reserves, she pushes on; while most Shinobi would wilt beneath the weight of sleepless night after sleepless night, she keeps going. This does not mean she does not feel pain/the strain of extended combat, but rather that her threshold for shutting down because of it is far higher than others. To give an example, if she were to be stabbed through her abdomen, she would still feel the pain of the injury, and it would hinder her ability to move/act, but it wouldn’t stop her, whereas a normal ninja might freeze up or shut down from the pain.

Bet You Didn’t See That Coming [Speed SA]
A byproduct of her enhanced endurance, Sora (despite what many would think) dislikes being injured- and with that dislike comes the intense desire to avoid getting hurt, a desire that has pushed her to hone her body until it could move faster than most others of her rank. In short, Sora is fast- very, very fast.

POWAH! UNLIMITED POWAH!! [Chakra Reserves SA]
After a lifetime of utilizing nearly every ounce of chakra in her body just to survive, Sora’s chakra reserves have expanded a considerable amount to compensate- while she’s no Jinchuuriki, her ability to toss out jutsu after jutsu and still have enough chakra to keep going is quite remarkable, a testament to just how much of the stuff she actually has.

I Am Not Left-Handed [Kenjutsu Mastery SA]
Sora is not merely a Kenjutsu specialist- she is a master when it comes to the art of the sword; after over two decades of training, her skills are unrivaled within Kirigakure, falling short only to the Seven Swordsman themselves… some of them, anyway. This mastery allows her a distinct advantage when fighting other Bukijutsu specialists of similar or lesser rank.

If You Try For Speed, You Do Not Achieve Speed [Bukijutsu Speed SA]
Beyond being a master of Kenjutsu, Sora has practiced for decades to become the faster swordswoman she can be. As such, her Kenjutsu techniques come out faster and move quicker than those performed by others of her rank.

Equipment: Samidare | Spring Rain Blade (Drawn)
SA’s
Unbreakable
Whatever metal and forging process was used in the creation of Samidare, it worked; Samidare is utterly unbreakable by most any means, capable of being engulfed in an S-Rank Jutsu and remaining unscathed. Though it is possible that the blade could potentially be broken by a sufficiently powerful attack (such as, say, a Bijuu-dama), this has never been tested, so it is not known if it would survive.

Sharper Than Your Average Blade
Due to its nature as an unbreakable blade, Samidare bears a cutting edge that is of particular note, which allows it to slice through even steel with little in the way of resistance, so long as the proper force is applied. Additionally, this edge never needs to be resharpened, as it never grows dull or rolls, thus making it perfect for frontline combat.

Light as Spring Rain
Perhaps a quirk of its forging (or perhaps an intentional feature), Samidare is considerably lighter than a blade its size and length ought to be; while this would normally result in a less effective weapon, Samidare loses none of its integrity or cutting power, as it is somehow able to leverage the same amount of force through less mass. This lightness allows the user to swing the weapon about with much greater speed for the same amount of physical exertion.

Chakra Conduction
Being Chakra Conductive, Samidare is capable of channeling all types of Chakra for use in Bukijustu, and, more particularly, it has a slight affinity for Raiton chakra thanks to Sora’s constant use of the blade for that purpose. This affinity does not do anything of real note, but it does feel as if the blade were more eager to drink in Raiton Chakra than other types.

[Shouki Kumori]

Kobashi… what a subtle move. Highly seasoned shinobi were expected to perform outrageous tasks that many non-chakra users would consider inhuman, impossible and absurd. Such an action… a good example was what they had been spending much of an hour doing – leaping from branch to branch in such speed. A most simple technique, something that most Genin mastered before they could even use the Art of Tree-Climbing, and here Kobashi was, faking a slip…

Kumori would’ve chuckled in merry humor at the man if not for the weight of this mission… besides, it was so clearly a ruse to the seasoned elder. Right after having thrown such a gaze, Kobashi definitely planned something… and there it was. A scripture on the loose dirt below Kobashi’s hand. The text read ‘Illusion’, and his gut feelings were strongly confirmed.

The reason things had been so damn quiet for so long was because they had been caught in a Genjutsu. Did Kobashi figure it out by pulling a leaf from that one bush before? Since the old man could see no other reason to do such a thing, he assumed so… was the Genjutsu a visual one? One that affected their visual awareness of the area. Either way, Sora aided him in performing Kai to release himself from whatever Genjutsu had been brought upon them, but… whoever had cast it upon them had done a good job at staying under hiding. Kumori couldn’t hear no footsteps, no breathing, no peculiar sounds in the far radius around him… other than from his two teammates.

Therefore, the Genjutsu caser – wherever they may be – were… likely overexerting themselves in hiding. Otherwise, the group would’ve been attacked… or else, the Genjutsu caster would’ve been on their way to warn the nearby shinobi at the village they were targeting. Therefore, if Sora’s Kai was successful, Kumori would point with two fingers forward, looking at Kobashi and Sora – let’s move forward and not allow the enemy to make good use of the time that’s been wasted… that was his thought.

But before he moved himself, he held his two fingers to the back lobe of his ear and concentrated. They had a mission to complete, and while the distraction was quite a bad start, it wouldn’t impede their advancement any further for as long as they knew what to expect now. However, in the case that someone was going to make a rush for it in his vicinity, then he'd bet on his sensitive ears to be able to catch them slipping. Just a faint sound to give away the location of someone, either someone fleeing or someone coming towards them.

Jutsus/SAs/Equipment Used

SPOILER: Click to show

Shouki Clan Hijutsu - Dokuyoke Master
Kumori possesses his clan’s secret ability to store, produce and release deadly poisons from his own body thanks to the ritual of Dokuyoke. Said ritual has also granted its clan members an uncanny resistance to local poisons and toxins found all over the Land of Water - however, with the decades that Kumori has had to practice their craft, he’s become a master of the offensive Dokuyoke – both in the secret but simple Taijutsu that takes advantage of the release of poisons, and also in the regards of being able to mold and create forms from the poisons released. Only a master who’s had decades to train the clan’s Hijutsu is able to utilize the poisons with this much efficiency and creativity.

Medical Training
Kumori was taught practical, medical skills from a young age – this was to honor his clan’s past as medical experts before the ritual of Dokuyoke changed them forever. His in-depth understanding of human anatomy grants him the ability to treat his own wounds as well as the wounds of others with minimal effort despite the lack of Medical Jutsu in his arsenal. When it comes to surgeries, then he’s confident and very experienced in cutting open as well as patching up human bodies for various purposes. This has definitely flourished during the trials that he witnessed in his clan… and despite his distancing from them, their books and notes did grant him a deeper understanding of human and animal biomechanism. Kumori is able to use this knowledge in combat as well, capable of easily identifying weak spots on the foe's body where critical organs or blood vessels (arteries, capillaries etc.) are located, thus targeting them for the most optimal killing chance. Medical knowledge isn't solely for healing the body, in the end... not in the hands of a shinobi.

Enhanced Chakra Reserves
Old as he is, Kumori’s decades of training and fighting has made his body robust physically, but it has also increased the available pool of chakra that he can draw from. He possesses enormous chakra reserves - much more than the typical shinobi, and he can release Jutsu after Jutsu for much longer periods of time before tiring out. This especially aids him in performing high-ranked Jutsu that usually cause other shinobi casting them to stagger or lose focus due to the huge loss of chakra as a result. The enormous concentration of chakra can also cause visible outbursts from his body upon welding or releasing chakra.

Enhanced Strength
Kumori’s muscle mass contributes to his massive size – it allows him to not only depend on the deadliness of his poisons, but also overpower his opponents with brute force. Every swing of his weapon is like a ravine charging into the target, and the toughness of his musculature alone is able to absorb quite a bit of blunt damage. It’s unheard of to witness a poison user like the Shouki to be this physically fit, but Kumori is something else… he has enough strength to punch holes in the ground, break weaponry with ease and utterly destroy an opponent's body and turn their bones to flakes with simple, heavy punches. Landing on the ground from great heights can cause soft tremors to travel across the ground, and he often deliberately lets foes land hits on him just to flex.

Jack-Of-All-Blades (Bukijutsu Expert)
Kumori seems to just know his way around any sort of weapon that he’s handed. Whether they be a sword, spear, bow, kunai, shuriken, kama, axe, club, staff, chain, knuckle-dusters, metal claws or even blowguns – of any shape and any size – when he wields and utilizes such any weapon, he does so with nigh unmatched skill. He may still have his preferences, but give him any weapon and he’ll kill with style.

Enhanced Hearing
As a result of his tracking missions back when he wanted to become a member of the Oinin Butai, Kumori developed a sharp and unnatural sense of hearing. He usually carries special Ear Protection plugs with him if enemies want to take advantage of this trait, but when freed of those, his ears can catch and distinguish sounds and their sources from long distances. He’s able to recognize usually muffled sounds with ease; the sound of a person’s heart beating slow or fast, the sound of insects crawling on the muddy ground, the sound of a hiding shinobi’s breathing etc.
Active: 5km / Passive: 1km

[Sourei Kobashi]

After his feigned slip and the discreet message, Kobashi had committed to his plan of using the Kai Technique to release himself from the illusion he believed himself to be captured it. For a moment he actually thought he had failed to escape the illusion given no change in the nearby scenery, but after a moment it somehow just felt different to Kobashi.

In short order Sora used the same technique on herself as well as Kumori. Understanding that since he was able to escape despite his lacking skill in genjutsu, Kobashi could safely assume they would be able to escape and given Kumori's hand signals it seemed he wanted the two of them to push through this hidden threat. Honestly, the idea of leaving an enemy at their backs did not sit well with Kobashi, but he could not exactly argue the point with Kumori here and now; in combat seconds mattered and could not be wasted.

In an effort to comply with the signal from the Kumori while also minimizing the threat from the unseen enemy Kobashi rendered a series of handseals before a sensation similar to vomiting quickly overwhelmed him as a stream of viscous liquid surged outwards. In order to try and ensure the largest chance of either restraining or at least making it more difficult for the genjutsu user to follow; Kobashi spun as he expelled the liquid making a roughly three-hundred and thirty degree turn with the unaffected thirty degrees left in front of them.

He could have done all of it, but he did not wish to make the assumption that his companions were familiar with the technique, so it was simply easier to leave the three of them a clear path. If the liquid managed to get on the hidden genjutsu user then they would soon find themselves sticking to any of the water they stepped on or if the water went directly on them then whatever they came in contact next. Even if what they came into contact with was weak enough to be torn by their movements then it would at least hopefully make it much easier to hear where in the woods they were. Should they manage to avoid it entirely then there was at least the possibility it might slow their pursuit enough to make some difference.

With his technique ended, Kobashi did the only thing left that he could do; he pushed forward along the clear path and moved with all the speed he could muster, hoping that his comrades would keep up and not make so foolish a mistake as to run out onto the water without proper precaution given he had left an obvious path open for them.

Made by Riley at THQ!

[Kaguya Toru]

I would know him in death At the end of the world Sourei Kobashi Sora Minami Shouki Kumori

The group was stunted momentarily having to reorient and reorganize after getting out of the genjutsu. Sora releasing Kumori appropriately from the genjutsu. Kobashi would unleash a viscous liquid all around them - except just in front - though it did not seem to get on anyone in the immediate. At least, not that Kumori could hear. It seemed that whoever was the user was quite expert at hiding themself, or themselves. Though as a genjutsu user, perhaps it was part of the play not to get close.

So, the group was free to move forward.

It was perhaps another hour before Kumori would hear anything, and it was a bit strange. It was like the sound of movement, but it didn't sound like it was near them. It sounded like a underground rumble. It was accompanied by what sounded like an army shouting and making themselves known as if the group of three were surrounded.

Kumori could hear them all a cacophony, a symphony. The other two would likely hear the shouting but not the rumbling underground. What was immediately strange though was that the shouting was not accompanied by a visual cue of anyone attacking them.

Until a kunai sliced through the air, heading straight for Kobashi.

SPOILER: Click to show

Two hours have elapsed without rest or sustenance.

The group after successfully getting out of genjutsu travel one hour.

Kumori can hear underground rumbling but it seems semi-distant and hard to pinpoint.

There is a cacophony of war like cries all around them, shaking the forest calm but nobody is visible except the kunai coming straight for Kobashi

OWL

[Sora Minami]

Once Kumori and herself were released from the Genjutsu, Sora watched the two men discuss their next step silently before agreeing on a course of action. Kobashi spewed a liquid substance all around them, save for directly in front, hoping to at least slow down anyone who might be nearby. She would have followed it up with a Raiton ninjutsu, but something told her to hold off; this kind of trap reeked of a coward, one who had the ability to force his illusions to subsist long after he’d fled the scene. So when her comrades took off at high speed, the Jounin followed, her long legs helping her to keep pace with the men as they kicked it into high gear.

An hour passed without incident, but as they pushed themselves to make up for lost time, the sound of shouting touched her ears; indistinct voices, varied and impossible to differentiate from one another, slowly began to fill her ears, and immediately the woman’s thoughts went to another Genjutsu. She didn’t hesitate this time, the hand seal for a Kai forming as she came to screeching halt, sky-blue gaze whirling in a circle all around her, looking for any hint of where their adversary might be…

And saw the kunai flying through the air, right towards Kobashi.

Sora didn’t hesitate, her body moving on instinct as she followed the path of the kunai back towards its point of origin and formed a second hand seal, pooling Raiton chakra into her gut before immediately spewing it out in the most destructive Ninjutsu she knew. "Raiton: Gian!" Lighting spewed forth from her mouth in a surge of power, slamming into the trees where the Kunai had originated from. Hopefully, she’d be fast enough to make the little sneak reveal himself- or even kill him if he wasn’t a particularly quick individual.

At the very least, there wouldn’t be any more damn Genjutsu to deal with for a little bit.

Jutsu/SA's/Equipment Used

SPOILER: Click to show

Shouki Kumori Sourei Kobashi Han
Jutsu: : NAME: Kai [Release]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Very Low- High Depending on the rank of the genjutsu
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [General]
ELEMENT: None
HANDSEALS: 1
DESCRIPTION: Kai is a technique invented to counteract the targeting of Genjutsu, working by halting one's chakra flow with a hand seal before drastically increasing the rate of chakra flow within oneself, forcing the opposing chakra out of the body. This can also be used on another person by manually forcing a surge of chakra into their body through direct contact, breaking them of their mesmerized state. One's skill to break an illusion depends on their skill and understanding of Genjutsu, as some may prove too powerful to escape by conventional means.

NAME: Raiton: Gian [Lightning Release: False Darkness]
RANK: B
CHAKRA USAGE: High
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [General]
ELEMENT: Raiton
HANDSEALS: 1
DESCRIPTION:
After completing the Snake handseal, the user will send Raiton chakra onto their hand or inside their mouth to then be released in the shape of a spear. The power of this spear is enough to peirce through stone, meaning that it's potential to inflict damage is high, and a direct hit could possibly kill. It's sheer speed is what makes it so powerful and the fact it's capable of multiplying as well. This technique moves like a straight beam, similar to a laser, which however could make it very predictable.

Special Abilities:
The Kunoichi That Goes On And On And On… [Endurance SA]
Perhaps part of her genetics or simply a random quirk of fate, Sora is unnaturally resilient, be it to physical pain or the toils of extended combat. While most Shinobi would collapse in exhaustion at having used all but the smallest sliver of their chakra reserves, she pushes on; while most Shinobi would wilt beneath the weight of sleepless night after sleepless night, she keeps going. This does not mean she does not feel pain/the strain of extended combat, but rather that her threshold for shutting down because of it is far higher than others. To give an example, if she were to be stabbed through her abdomen, she would still feel the pain of the injury, and it would hinder her ability to move/act, but it wouldn’t stop her, whereas a normal ninja might freeze up or shut down from the pain.

Bet You Didn’t See That Coming [Speed SA]
A byproduct of her enhanced endurance, Sora (despite what many would think) dislikes being injured- and with that dislike comes the intense desire to avoid getting hurt, a desire that has pushed her to hone her body until it could move faster than most others of her rank. In short, Sora is fast- very, very fast.

POWAH! UNLIMITED POWAH!! [Chakra Reserves SA]
After a lifetime of utilizing nearly every ounce of chakra in her body just to survive, Sora’s chakra reserves have expanded a considerable amount to compensate- while she’s no Jinchuuriki, her ability to toss out jutsu after jutsu and still have enough chakra to keep going is quite remarkable, a testament to just how much of the stuff she actually has.

I Am Not Left-Handed [Kenjutsu Mastery SA]
Sora is not merely a Kenjutsu specialist- she is a master when it comes to the art of the sword; after over two decades of training, her skills are unrivaled within Kirigakure, falling short only to the Seven Swordsman themselves… some of them, anyway. This mastery allows her a distinct advantage when fighting other Bukijutsu specialists of similar or lesser rank.

If You Try For Speed, You Do Not Achieve Speed [Bukijutsu Speed SA]
Beyond being a master of Kenjutsu, Sora has practiced for decades to become the faster swordswoman she can be. As such, her Kenjutsu techniques come out faster and move quicker than those performed by others of her rank.

Equipment: Samidare | Spring Rain Blade (Drawn)
SA’s
Unbreakable
Whatever metal and forging process was used in the creation of Samidare, it worked; Samidare is utterly unbreakable by most any means, capable of being engulfed in an S-Rank Jutsu and remaining unscathed. Though it is possible that the blade could potentially be broken by a sufficiently powerful attack (such as, say, a Bijuu-dama), this has never been tested, so it is not known if it would survive.

Sharper Than Your Average Blade
Due to its nature as an unbreakable blade, Samidare bears a cutting edge that is of particular note, which allows it to slice through even steel with little in the way of resistance, so long as the proper force is applied. Additionally, this edge never needs to be resharpened, as it never grows dull or rolls, thus making it perfect for frontline combat.

Light as Spring Rain
Perhaps a quirk of its forging (or perhaps an intentional feature), Samidare is considerably lighter than a blade its size and length ought to be; while this would normally result in a less effective weapon, Samidare loses none of its integrity or cutting power, as it is somehow able to leverage the same amount of force through less mass. This lightness allows the user to swing the weapon about with much greater speed for the same amount of physical exertion.

Chakra Conduction
Being Chakra Conductive, Samidare is capable of channeling all types of Chakra for use in Bukijustu, and, more particularly, it has a slight affinity for Raiton chakra thanks to Sora’s constant use of the blade for that purpose. This affinity does not do anything of real note, but it does feel as if the blade were more eager to drink in Raiton Chakra than other types.

[Shouki Kumori]

For now… Kobashi’s Jutsu would do. There was an inkling growing inside of Kumori’s mind, something that complimented the secrecy of this Genjutsu user… perhaps by keeping their distance like this, they intended to drain the unit of their chakra through extensive use of Kai, so that further reinforcements could wipe them out at their weakest. If that was the case, then taking out this Genjutsu user was an even higher priority than reaching the target site right now.

They moved forward once more, increasing speed to make up for lost time. Good… the Genjutsu user would likely try to catch them again. Would they remain discreet, or would they grow brave enough to go for the kill? If they dared try the latter, then that would be the opening that they needed… especially now that they expected their intervention. Yet, creating a scene where one’s senses were untrustworthy was an age-old tool of war for weakening enemy troops.

…

"Something’s moving… from below us,” he quickly warned his crew the moment sounds from… what sounded to come from beneath the ground itself reached his sensitive ears. However, other sounds enveloped him – the battle cries of an army as if surrounding them. Had they all snuck up on their team without him hearing them? He kept his ears open at all it-

Unless this was another Genjutsu… an audial one, at that! Well, for good measure, he wasn’t above using Kai on himself this time, and that he did – however, differentiating from last time, a dart crossed the air in the form of a kunai. And Sora had already went on the counter-attack… and Kumori had already prioritized the Genjutsu user’s death.

Therefore, he flicked a couple shurikens towards a couple points located around the target area of Sora’s Jutsu, attempting to intercept any escaping enemy from where Sora shot her Lightning Release Technique. While the shuriken were still in the air, he clapped his hands together and performed the Shuriken Transformation Jutsu, increasing the killing potential of his thrown stars by increasing their sizes to resemble Fuma shuriken. This on top of Sora’s Jutsu would undoubtedly lure them out and, on a betting note, impede their escape for a moment, should they be there…

Jutsus/SAs/Equipment Used

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Shuriken Henge no Jutsu [Shuriken Transformation Technique]
RANK: C-rank
CHAKRA USAGE: Very Low
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu
ELEMENT:
DESCRIPTION:
This technique is a surprise attack that is designed to maximize the killing potential of thrown projectiles. At a hand clap, the projectile is instantly enlarged, proportionate to its size. This causes, for example, a shuriken to reach the size of a fūma shuriken, or a kunai to reach the size of a short sword.

---------------------------------------

Shouki Clan Hijutsu - Dokuyoke Master
Kumori possesses his clan’s secret ability to store, produce and release deadly poisons from his own body thanks to the ritual of Dokuyoke. Said ritual has also granted its clan members an uncanny resistance to local poisons and toxins found all over the Land of Water - however, with the decades that Kumori has had to practice their craft, he’s become a master of the offensive Dokuyoke – both in the secret but simple Taijutsu that takes advantage of the release of poisons, and also in the regards of being able to mold and create forms from the poisons released. Only a master who’s had decades to train the clan’s Hijutsu is able to utilize the poisons with this much efficiency and creativity.

Medical Training
Kumori was taught practical, medical skills from a young age – this was to honor his clan’s past as medical experts before the ritual of Dokuyoke changed them forever. His in-depth understanding of human anatomy grants him the ability to treat his own wounds as well as the wounds of others with minimal effort despite the lack of Medical Jutsu in his arsenal. When it comes to surgeries, then he’s confident and very experienced in cutting open as well as patching up human bodies for various purposes. This has definitely flourished during the trials that he witnessed in his clan… and despite his distancing from them, their books and notes did grant him a deeper understanding of human and animal biomechanism. Kumori is able to use this knowledge in combat as well, capable of easily identifying weak spots on the foe's body where critical organs or blood vessels (arteries, capillaries etc.) are located, thus targeting them for the most optimal killing chance. Medical knowledge isn't solely for healing the body, in the end... not in the hands of a shinobi.

Enhanced Chakra Reserves
Old as he is, Kumori’s decades of training and fighting has made his body robust physically, but it has also increased the available pool of chakra that he can draw from. He possesses enormous chakra reserves - much more than the typical shinobi, and he can release Jutsu after Jutsu for much longer periods of time before tiring out. This especially aids him in performing high-ranked Jutsu that usually cause other shinobi casting them to stagger or lose focus due to the huge loss of chakra as a result. The enormous concentration of chakra can also cause visible outbursts from his body upon welding or releasing chakra.

Enhanced Strength
Kumori’s muscle mass contributes to his massive size – it allows him to not only depend on the deadliness of his poisons, but also overpower his opponents with brute force. Every swing of his weapon is like a ravine charging into the target, and the toughness of his musculature alone is able to absorb quite a bit of blunt damage. It’s unheard of to witness a poison user like the Shouki to be this physically fit, but Kumori is something else… he has enough strength to punch holes in the ground, break weaponry with ease and utterly destroy an opponent's body and turn their bones to flakes with simple, heavy punches. Landing on the ground from great heights can cause soft tremors to travel across the ground, and he often deliberately lets foes land hits on him just to flex.

Jack-Of-All-Blades (Bukijutsu Expert)
Kumori seems to just know his way around any sort of weapon that he’s handed. Whether they be a sword, spear, bow, kunai, shuriken, kama, axe, club, staff, chain, knuckle-dusters, metal claws or even blowguns – of any shape and any size – when he wields and utilizes such any weapon, he does so with nigh unmatched skill. He may still have his preferences, but give him any weapon and he’ll kill with style.

Enhanced Hearing
As a result of his tracking missions back when he wanted to become a member of the Oinin Butai, Kumori developed a sharp and unnatural sense of hearing. He usually carries special Ear Protection plugs with him if enemies want to take advantage of this trait, but when freed of those, his ears can catch and distinguish sounds and their sources from long distances. He’s able to recognize usually muffled sounds with ease; the sound of a person’s heart beating slow or fast, the sound of insects crawling on the muddy ground, the sound of a hiding shinobi’s breathing etc.
Active: 5km / Passive: 1km

[Sourei Kobashi]

After the modified water from his ninjutsu coated the surrounding area, part of Kobashi had half-expected the chaos of combat to erupt all around them, only to be met with utter silence; somehow this outcome proved far more unnerving to Kobashi than his original expectation. His mind fluttered with half-formed hypotheses as to what the silence meant. Had the genjutsu-user fled, had they already left a long time ago, could they possibly have just been missed and opted to hide? These questions and many more flickered through his mind, but unfortunately there was no way to answer them with the skills or time they had. Watching his compatriots and seeing them push forward, he had little option except to push along with them.

It was not until about a hour later that something changed. The hour had been so mundane that he had half-started to think they may have been recaptured in another illusion, but the sudden rumbling moved such concerns to the back of his mind. Suddenly the rumbling erupted into a roar with it sounding as if they were surrounded on every side. Kobashi wondered why exactly they were revealing themselves now. Were they relying on Ashigaru due to a lack of shinobi? They had proven they had shinobi earlier with the illusion and it was strange for a shinobi to make so much noise. . . unless it was some sort of distraction.

Much like earlier, Kobashi focused his attentive gaze ontot he surroundings on their area, looking for some sign of the enemy or an attack and for a little while he saw absolutely nothing. No leaves rustled, no branches snapped, no animals scurried away from the sudden influx of supposed attackers. Kobashi was about to try ridding himself of a possible illusion when he finally saw a flash of silver as a kunai streaked towards him. He could have likely just dodged it, but given his own predisposition to use explosives, the lack of any enemies engaging him or his allies and the dense terrain he also understood this was a prime moment to make use of explosives. Assuming there might be an explosive tag on the kunai, Kobashi decided to take the safer method and threw his own projectile to intercept the kunai flying towards him.

Immediately after he threw his shuriken, the jounin crouched down before pushing off with his legs as hard as he could to jump into the tree branches above. Here he began to move among the trees, curving to the right of where the kunai had emerged from in an attempt to either intercept or flank around his attacker. It was certainly possible that his attacker decided to move the other way, but given the likelihood of most people to be right handed and facing your dominant side towards the opponents being the common method of fighting, it seemed better to go to his own right than left. Moving through the branches, Kobashi watched for any movement scanning below with the occasional glance up among the other tree branches around him, his ninjato now drawn and prepared to defend against further attacks.

Made by Riley at THQ!

[Kaguya Toru]

I would know him in death At the end of the world Shouki Kumori Sora Minami Sourei Kobashi

A grunt sounded from where the kunai had flown when Sora struck out with her Raiton spear, but something was missing. Well, not that they would hear it since there was a cacophony of battle cries still going like a horrible disorienting orchestra... Only Kumori would hear the grunt, in truth.

Meanwhile, Kobashi intercepted the kunai with his own, a clink sounded and both dropped in the center somewhere into the forest foliage from their momentums. Kobashi leaping into the trees just in time for the fuma shuriken to start making their rounds. Fortunately for him they were going into a bunch of tree trunks because there were no enemies jumping out as Kumori had hoped, and if any were to scrape anyone, it would really be Kobashi who was moving around looking.

Indeed, he would find something... Someone... A lot of someone's.

Who would notice him immediately... About thirty someone's who would raise shuriken and kunai alike, aiming straight for Kobashi as he had been the brave one to inspect what was happening, he would also be the one to face the attack of approximately sixty kunais from around his level and up above, from thirty different individuals throwing them all towards him. They seemed to know what they were doing at least.

For the two left on the ground - Kumori and Sora - the rumbling would move past them way ahead of their path and very suddenly stop. It would be hard to discern for Kumori what was happening ahead after as the sounds of fighting were perhaps the most intense and whatever it was, was not in sight.

SPOILER: Click to show

Enemies: 30? in the trees
Underground rumbles have ceased - the only way to inspect is further up ahead.

OWL

[Sora Minami]

Sora didn’t bother checking to see if her jutsu killed the Shinobi who threw the kunai; the Jounin moved the moment her Gian was loose, drawing Samidare as she followed after Kobashi… and saw the storm of shrunken and kunai flying his way from every direction. Shit. Fuuton chakra flooded through her blade as she landed on a nearby branch and swung, arcing her cut to hit the largest swath of space she could. The Fuuton chakra exploded from her weapon in a gust of powerful wind, strong enough to knock any projectile it came into contact with off course. It wasn’t much, but it would have to be enough- the Sourei couldn’t use his weird bloodline to defend himself, not without giving everything away, so any help she could toss his way, she would.

The Jounin moved again a moment later, Raiton chakra pooling inside Samidare as she surged up through the trees, racing ten meters up into the canopy and packing energy in her weapon until it could hold no more. Then, her jutsu ready, Sora twisted, leaping off the tree she had chosen and (hopefully) over the enemy Shinobi, cutting her blade across her body as she released the energy held within in a massive, crackling wave of pure Raiton that would slash through anything it came into contact with, especially Doton techniques.

"Ittoryu: Samidaregiri!" The time for slinking about was over now. Time to fight.

Shouki Kumori Sourei Kobashi Han

Jutsu/SA's/Equipment Used

SPOILER: Click to show

Jutsu:
NAME: Ittoryu: Tatsumaki [One Sword Style: Tornado]
RANK: B
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium
CLASSIFICATION: Bukijutsu
ELEMENT: Fūton
HANDSEALS: 0
DESCRIPTION:
The user brings their weapon around in a fast, powerful arc that creates a minor shockwave, disturbing the air and creating a gust of short-lived wind similar in strength to an F2 tornado, which can be felt by anyone within about thirty meters of the swings arc. The winds are strongest close to the user (within 5 meters), and are capable of knocking senbon, kunai, and shuriken off course, and even lifting people off their feet should they be caught unawares.

NAME: Ittoryu: Samidaregiri [One Sword Style: Spring Rain Cutter]
RANK: A
CHAKRA USAGE: High
CLASSIFICATION: Kenjutsu
ELEMENT: Raiton
HANDSEALS: N/a
RESTRICTIONS: Must know Saber Jutsu; Must have Chakra Conductive/Raiton Reactive Blade
DESCRIPTION: A unique variant of the Sabre Jutsu developed by a past user of Samidare Samidaregiri works by flooding Samidare with Raiton-nature chakra, which is then unleashed when the user swings the blade, exploding out it in a "cut” that follows the arc of her slash, but with vastly increased range and intense destructive power, as the "cut” is made of pure Raiton chakra and not only cut, but burns and shocks as well. Destructively speaking, Samidaregiri is capable of carving a large, scorched gouge in thick plates of steel.

This is not to say Samidaregiri is a perfect jutsu; it takes a good few seconds to charge the blade with sufficient chakra and, should the user somehow fail to unleash the cut after charging the blade to full, it will erupt upon them instead of their enemy, essentially making this technique almost as dangerous for the user as it is for their enemy. These cuts have an effective range of roughly 15m.

Special Abilities:
The Kunoichi That Goes On And On And On… [Endurance SA]
Perhaps part of her genetics or simply a random quirk of fate, Sora is unnaturally resilient, be it to physical pain or the toils of extended combat. While most Shinobi would collapse in exhaustion at having used all but the smallest sliver of their chakra reserves, she pushes on; while most Shinobi would wilt beneath the weight of sleepless night after sleepless night, she keeps going. This does not mean she does not feel pain/the strain of extended combat, but rather that her threshold for shutting down because of it is far higher than others. To give an example, if she were to be stabbed through her abdomen, she would still feel the pain of the injury, and it would hinder her ability to move/act, but it wouldn’t stop her, whereas a normal ninja might freeze up or shut down from the pain.

Bet You Didn’t See That Coming [Speed SA]
A byproduct of her enhanced endurance, Sora (despite what many would think) dislikes being injured- and with that dislike comes the intense desire to avoid getting hurt, a desire that has pushed her to hone her body until it could move faster than most others of her rank. In short, Sora is fast- very, very fast.

POWAH! UNLIMITED POWAH!! [Chakra Reserves SA]
After a lifetime of utilizing nearly every ounce of chakra in her body just to survive, Sora’s chakra reserves have expanded a considerable amount to compensate- while she’s no Jinchuuriki, her ability to toss out jutsu after jutsu and still have enough chakra to keep going is quite remarkable, a testament to just how much of the stuff she actually has.

I Am Not Left-Handed [Kenjutsu Mastery SA]
Sora is not merely a Kenjutsu specialist- she is a master when it comes to the art of the sword; after over two decades of training, her skills are unrivaled within Kirigakure, falling short only to the Seven Swordsman themselves… some of them, anyway. This mastery allows her a distinct advantage when fighting other Bukijutsu specialists of similar or lesser rank.

If You Try For Speed, You Do Not Achieve Speed [Bukijutsu Speed SA]
Beyond being a master of Kenjutsu, Sora has practiced for decades to become the faster swordswoman she can be. As such, her Kenjutsu techniques come out faster and move quicker than those performed by others of her rank.

Equipment: Samidare | Spring Rain Blade (Drawn)
SA’s
Unbreakable
Whatever metal and forging process was used in the creation of Samidare, it worked; Samidare is utterly unbreakable by most any means, capable of being engulfed in an S-Rank Jutsu and remaining unscathed. Though it is possible that the blade could potentially be broken by a sufficiently powerful attack (such as, say, a Bijuu-dama), this has never been tested, so it is not known if it would survive.

Sharper Than Your Average Blade
Due to its nature as an unbreakable blade, Samidare bears a cutting edge that is of particular note, which allows it to slice through even steel with little in the way of resistance, so long as the proper force is applied. Additionally, this edge never needs to be resharpened, as it never grows dull or rolls, thus making it perfect for frontline combat.

Light as Spring Rain
Perhaps a quirk of its forging (or perhaps an intentional feature), Samidare is considerably lighter than a blade its size and length ought to be; while this would normally result in a less effective weapon, Samidare loses none of its integrity or cutting power, as it is somehow able to leverage the same amount of force through less mass. This lightness allows the user to swing the weapon about with much greater speed for the same amount of physical exertion.

Chakra Conduction
Being Chakra Conductive, Samidare is capable of channeling all types of Chakra for use in Bukijustu, and, more particularly, it has a slight affinity for Raiton chakra thanks to Sora’s constant use of the blade for that purpose. This affinity does not do anything of real note, but it does feel as if the blade were more eager to drink in Raiton Chakra than other types.

[Shouki Kumori]

Kumori heard a clear grunt, standing out from amongst the battle cries going on around him and Sora… a grunt that couldn’t not have been a result of Sora’s Raiton Technique. However, his gigantified shuriken hadn’t landed on anyone, and no enemies revealed themselves from the bushes upon his offensive assault. Still, he was set on chasing down the source of the grunt if not for the sudden move of the underground rumbles racing up ahead of their path, forcing Kumori to follow in hot pursuit.

Sora had blitzed right by him on her way towards Kobashi who was up in the trees, the clanks of metal clashing initiating a real confrontation. Kumori followed after her, weaving a single handseal to summon 9 Shadow Clones of himself, each indistinguishable from the current Kumori. As they all, including Kumori himself, leapt up to the tree branches, Kumori let his Clones close into the fray where Sora was, but upon witnessing her Samidaregiri, they waited a moment longer before jumping in to assault any enemy Shinobi who managed to escape Sora’s attack. These Clones would stick to close-range combat, utilizing Kumori's immense physical strength to gauge the enemy troops present and give both Kobashi and Sora some breathing room.

The real Kumori stood at the furthest edge of the group of Clones that he had created for one reason or another.

Jutsus/SAs/Equipment Used

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Kage Bunshin no Jutsu [Shadow Clone Technique]
RANK: B-rank
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu (General)
ELEMENT: None
HANDSEALS: 1
DESCRIPTION:
The Kage Bunshin technique evenly distributes your chakra between one or more clones with form and substance.

The clones created by this technique are able to utilize any jutsu the original ninja knows, has all of their special abilities, as well as their kekkei genkai. Typically a clone's equipment doesn't retain any special abilities and the clone itself is dispersed when hit with a single attack or incapacitated, although the clone can also choose to disperse itself or be dispersed by the user.

When the clone finally disperses, any new knowledge it has gained along with it's remaining chakra are passed back to the original ninja and any additional clones.

---------------------------------------

Shouki Clan Hijutsu - Dokuyoke Master
Kumori possesses his clan’s secret ability to store, produce and release deadly poisons from his own body thanks to the ritual of Dokuyoke. Said ritual has also granted its clan members an uncanny resistance to local poisons and toxins found all over the Land of Water - however, with the decades that Kumori has had to practice their craft, he’s become a master of the offensive Dokuyoke – both in the secret but simple Taijutsu that takes advantage of the release of poisons, and also in the regards of being able to mold and create forms from the poisons released. Only a master who’s had decades to train the clan’s Hijutsu is able to utilize the poisons with this much efficiency and creativity.

Medical Training
Kumori was taught practical, medical skills from a young age – this was to honor his clan’s past as medical experts before the ritual of Dokuyoke changed them forever. His in-depth understanding of human anatomy grants him the ability to treat his own wounds as well as the wounds of others with minimal effort despite the lack of Medical Jutsu in his arsenal. When it comes to surgeries, then he’s confident and very experienced in cutting open as well as patching up human bodies for various purposes. This has definitely flourished during the trials that he witnessed in his clan… and despite his distancing from them, their books and notes did grant him a deeper understanding of human and animal biomechanism. Kumori is able to use this knowledge in combat as well, capable of easily identifying weak spots on the foe's body where critical organs or blood vessels (arteries, capillaries etc.) are located, thus targeting them for the most optimal killing chance. Medical knowledge isn't solely for healing the body, in the end... not in the hands of a shinobi.

Enhanced Chakra Reserves
Old as he is, Kumori’s decades of training and fighting has made his body robust physically, but it has also increased the available pool of chakra that he can draw from. He possesses enormous chakra reserves - much more than the typical shinobi, and he can release Jutsu after Jutsu for much longer periods of time before tiring out. This especially aids him in performing high-ranked Jutsu that usually cause other shinobi casting them to stagger or lose focus due to the huge loss of chakra as a result. The enormous concentration of chakra can also cause visible outbursts from his body upon welding or releasing chakra.

Enhanced Strength
Kumori’s muscle mass contributes to his massive size – it allows him to not only depend on the deadliness of his poisons, but also overpower his opponents with brute force. Every swing of his weapon is like a ravine charging into the target, and the toughness of his musculature alone is able to absorb quite a bit of blunt damage. It’s unheard of to witness a poison user like the Shouki to be this physically fit, but Kumori is something else… he has enough strength to punch holes in the ground, break weaponry with ease and utterly destroy an opponent's body and turn their bones to flakes with simple, heavy punches. Landing on the ground from great heights can cause soft tremors to travel across the ground, and he often deliberately lets foes land hits on him just to flex.

Jack-Of-All-Blades (Bukijutsu Expert)
Kumori seems to just know his way around any sort of weapon that he’s handed. Whether they be a sword, spear, bow, kunai, shuriken, kama, axe, club, staff, chain, knuckle-dusters, metal claws or even blowguns – of any shape and any size – when he wields and utilizes such any weapon, he does so with nigh unmatched skill. He may still have his preferences, but give him any weapon and he’ll kill with style.

Enhanced Hearing
As a result of his tracking missions back when he wanted to become a member of the Oinin Butai, Kumori developed a sharp and unnatural sense of hearing. He usually carries special Ear Protection plugs with him if enemies want to take advantage of this trait, but when freed of those, his ears can catch and distinguish sounds and their sources from long distances. He’s able to recognize usually muffled sounds with ease; the sound of a person’s heart beating slow or fast, the sound of insects crawling on the muddy ground, the sound of a hiding shinobi’s breathing etc.
Active: 5km / Passive: 1km

[Sourei Kobashi]

While Kobashi had understood the potential for a larger interception force to have been moving towards them, the singular kunai attack earlier seemd to have been meant to give them a false sense of security that the force engaging them was a small one. . . and Kobashi had fallen for it. In an effort to try and keep the concealed attacker from escaping them and quickly ending the fight, Kobashi had managed to run headlong in to a group of what he could only assume were dozens of shinobi based on the swarm of kunai that came raining down towards him a few moments after he jumped into the trees.

Even though he was not supposed to use his clan abilities, for half a second he was tempted to do say. The brief consideration of becoming incorporeal and moving through the tree to try and disguise it as some use of the wood techniques the Senju were know for. The idea was quickly dismissed however with Kobashi instead simply putting his back to the tree he was standing on and raising the blade to defend as best he could.

The need to defend though was gone as quickly as the threat had appeared. Minami jumping into the trees nearby and launching a blast of wind from herself and towards the weapons. Before the wind even connected to the kunai, Kobashi's wrists shifted and a small amount of chakra coursed through him coating his ninjato. In a few rapid movements the ninjato's blade arced in front of him, not to try and deflect projectiles as originally planned, but to launch small crescents of chakra up and into the canopy as he made use of the *Sabre Technique's projectile quality.

The timing of this while not necessarily planned would work out as the projectiles being thrown, Minami hopefully deflecting them while Kobashi launched the chakra projectiles up into the trees, Minami following up the destruction of the trees and possible scattering of attackers with lighting before finally Kumori and his clones rushed into the area to engage in close quarters combat.

While none of it had been planned and they had yet to see their attacker's physical bodies, the improvised combination of their responses would hopefully prove enough to deal with the immediate threat; granted the sound of rumbling shooting past them and stopping somewhere ahead was likely to soon become an issue as well if it was not already without their understanding.

Made by Riley at THQ!

[Kaguya Toru]

I would know him in death At the end of the world Sourei Kobashi @kumori Sora Minami

The three would begin to work in tandem, at least they were attempting to do so - though there was still some disharmony in the battle plan overall. Kobashi had been cornered with very little way out, and Sora had come to his rescue brushing the majority of the weaponry away with Kobashi cleaning them with smaller sabre techniques, allowing for the enemy to be well quite upset.

Sora followed it all up with an intense raiton technique, which aside from Kumori who stayed back would put not only the enemies in danger but also Kobashi who was plainly in the way since the enemies were so scattered it would be quite impossible to catch the majority of them in this attack.

However as the technique connected it suddenly became obvious that all of them were some kind of clone because their destruction came with a cloud of smoke that often followed the dispersion of a Kage Bunshin...

Kumori engaged with some individuals or at least the clones did and it seemed that they were quite quickly overpowered at close quarters at least in terms of strength, dispersing too in smoke.

A few trees away from this clearing though - that was utterly destroyed from Sora's attacks - deeper in the forest the sound of crying came and begging.

"No.. No please! Please! I don't ... I don't want to!"

"Come on kid! I don't care about what you fucking want or need."

Those are the words Kumori would hear, the other two would hear talking but not clear cut words. It seemed like a hostage situation.

SPOILER: Click to show

30+ enemies seemed to have been kage bunshin.

The crew hears talking beyond the clearing once the dust settles. Kumori can make out clear words.

OWL

[Sora Minami]

Sora heard the tell-tale poof of a Kage Bunshin popping into smoke and knew they’d been had. Again. Her eyes darted to where she’d last seen Kobashi but he wasn’t there, and as her Samidaregiri faded into nothing, the forest around them caught fire from the heat of the attack, many of the trees by its sheer force. The rumbling that had drawn her attention earlier had ceased, but before she could find Kobashi to pursue the sound she heard something- a voice, perhaps a child's or even an effeminate teenager, crying out, though there was no way for her to make out any words, just the basic tone.

"Go ahead. I’ll back him up." She said, loud enough for the missing man to hear (God, she hoped he hadn’t been in the blast zone of her last jutsu), her legs pumping as she leapt off towards the noise, leaving Kobashi and whatever clones were left to investigate the threat in front of them. She moved quickly, though obviously not fast enough to catch Kumori before he arrived on the scene of whatever was going on, and landed just behind him, Samidare held low but ready in case of trouble.

Her chakra supply was fine for now- she’d usd a good chunk on her last attack, but her reserves were large enough that she could do that several more times without issue, even if they didn’t get any rest. Which was looking very likely, given the constant interruptions.

Shouki Kumori Sourei Kobashi Kaguya Toru

[Shouki Kumori]

Kumori’s clones were strong, but maybe Sora’s intense Raiton Technique was a bit too overwhelming – it did its job at revealing that all of the enemies present were Shadow Clones. Her attack had also cleared a large area from the sovereignty of leaves… and thus, Kumori’s ears caught a short exchange of words. It sounded like an argument between a crying person and another, more authoritative one. The crying one was revealed by the latter to be a kid, which resonated with their voice.

Whoever was having an argument in the middle of conflict were giving away their location to the enemy, as well as leaving themselves vulnerable to surprise attacks. Upon further thought, it sounded more like some sort of forced infliction – it was clear that the kid was being forced to do something against their will, but what exactly that was… couldn’t be waited by him to find out.

He performed the handseal for his Shadow Clone Technique, instead dispersing the majority of his Clones to retrieve the chakra he distributed between them – only leaving three Clones behind. He had two of those Clones run up ahead of him, before he followed behind as they all headed for the source of the argument. The third Clone stayed with Kobashi, offering aid in whatever he needed right now.

Upon reaching the area, the two Clones wouldn’t waste an instant and leapt into the scene, attempting to stab the ‘adult’ of the two before they could react – the one who had scolded the one with the kid-like voice, if the distinction could be made. One stab through the liver, another through the chest. The real Kumori stayed back, hiding within the tree crowns and their leaves on a large branch, with Sora landing on the same branch behind him. Sort of copying the enemy’s strategy, he was… but that way, should the Clones be taken by surprise, he could retaliate immediately with a surprise of his own. It was good that Sora stood ready as well.

Jutsus/SAs/Equipment Used

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Kage Bunshin no Jutsu [Shadow Clone Technique]
RANK: B-rank
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu (General)
ELEMENT: None
HANDSEALS: 1
DESCRIPTION:
The Kage Bunshin technique evenly distributes your chakra between one or more clones with form and substance.

The clones created by this technique are able to utilize any jutsu the original ninja knows, has all of their special abilities, as well as their kekkei genkai. Typically a clone's equipment doesn't retain any special abilities and the clone itself is dispersed when hit with a single attack or incapacitated, although the clone can also choose to disperse itself or be dispersed by the user.

When the clone finally disperses, any new knowledge it has gained along with it's remaining chakra are passed back to the original ninja and any additional clones.

---------------------------------------

Shouki Clan Hijutsu - Dokuyoke Master
Kumori possesses his clan’s secret ability to store, produce and release deadly poisons from his own body thanks to the ritual of Dokuyoke. Said ritual has also granted its clan members an uncanny resistance to local poisons and toxins found all over the Land of Water - however, with the decades that Kumori has had to practice their craft, he’s become a master of the offensive Dokuyoke – both in the secret but simple Taijutsu that takes advantage of the release of poisons, and also in the regards of being able to mold and create forms from the poisons released. Only a master who’s had decades to train the clan’s Hijutsu is able to utilize the poisons with this much efficiency and creativity.

Medical Training
Kumori was taught practical, medical skills from a young age – this was to honor his clan’s past as medical experts before the ritual of Dokuyoke changed them forever. His in-depth understanding of human anatomy grants him the ability to treat his own wounds as well as the wounds of others with minimal effort despite the lack of Medical Jutsu in his arsenal. When it comes to surgeries, then he’s confident and very experienced in cutting open as well as patching up human bodies for various purposes. This has definitely flourished during the trials that he witnessed in his clan… and despite his distancing from them, their books and notes did grant him a deeper understanding of human and animal biomechanism. Kumori is able to use this knowledge in combat as well, capable of easily identifying weak spots on the foe's body where critical organs or blood vessels (arteries, capillaries etc.) are located, thus targeting them for the most optimal killing chance. Medical knowledge isn't solely for healing the body, in the end... not in the hands of a shinobi.

Enhanced Chakra Reserves
Old as he is, Kumori’s decades of training and fighting has made his body robust physically, but it has also increased the available pool of chakra that he can draw from. He possesses enormous chakra reserves - much more than the typical shinobi, and he can release Jutsu after Jutsu for much longer periods of time before tiring out. This especially aids him in performing high-ranked Jutsu that usually cause other shinobi casting them to stagger or lose focus due to the huge loss of chakra as a result. The enormous concentration of chakra can also cause visible outbursts from his body upon welding or releasing chakra.

Enhanced Strength
Kumori’s muscle mass contributes to his massive size – it allows him to not only depend on the deadliness of his poisons, but also overpower his opponents with brute force. Every swing of his weapon is like a ravine charging into the target, and the toughness of his musculature alone is able to absorb quite a bit of blunt damage. It’s unheard of to witness a poison user like the Shouki to be this physically fit, but Kumori is something else… he has enough strength to punch holes in the ground, break weaponry with ease and utterly destroy an opponent's body and turn their bones to flakes with simple, heavy punches. Landing on the ground from great heights can cause soft tremors to travel across the ground, and he often deliberately lets foes land hits on him just to flex.

Jack-Of-All-Blades (Bukijutsu Expert)
Kumori seems to just know his way around any sort of weapon that he’s handed. Whether they be a sword, spear, bow, kunai, shuriken, kama, axe, club, staff, chain, knuckle-dusters, metal claws or even blowguns – of any shape and any size – when he wields and utilizes such any weapon, he does so with nigh unmatched skill. He may still have his preferences, but give him any weapon and he’ll kill with style.

Enhanced Hearing
As a result of his tracking missions back when he wanted to become a member of the Oinin Butai, Kumori developed a sharp and unnatural sense of hearing. He usually carries special Ear Protection plugs with him if enemies want to take advantage of this trait, but when freed of those, his ears can catch and distinguish sounds and their sources from long distances. He’s able to recognize usually muffled sounds with ease; the sound of a person’s heart beating slow or fast, the sound of insects crawling on the muddy ground, the sound of a hiding shinobi’s breathing etc.
Active: 5km / Passive: 1km