[Sora Minami]

In all of Kirigakure’s storied history, the position of Mizukage’s bodyguard had long been considered one of the most prestigious and coveted roles in all the village. Tasked with being the first line of defense against threats to the Mizukage’s life, a bodyguard was meant to be someone people looked up to not just for their strength, but for their experience. A Shinobi of wisdom and thought who, rather than seek glory on the battlefield, chose to stay behind and protect the leader of their nation from all threats, both foreign and domestic. Or at least, that was how it should have been; reality had a way of making even the best of things crumble and fall.

That’s why we’re here. Sora thought as she pushed through the press of Genin and Instructors that had crowded around the entrance to the training grounds, ignoring the concerned glances and surprised, sometimes frightened cries of the students as she stepped around (and sometimes over) them. Ostensibly, she had come to the training grounds today to meet with one of the Mizukage’s bodyguards for just that. In truth, however, her motives were far from altruistic- indeed, most would call them spiteful, if they knew.

She had asked around about the young man she was to meet today, one Yamaguchi Daichi, connecting with a few of her old Hunter-nin comrades still in the service and poking through what files she had access to, hoping to get a picture of why he’d been chosen. The only hint she’d come up with, apart from anecdotes about him being loyal to a fault, was a note about his sealing abilities that had seemed more hyperbole than anything else, though it did give her a potential skillset to go with the youth’s position. Barriers, seals, a few summons… not a lot to use in the heat of the moment. He would need to be fast, to deal with threats.

Today, she’d get to see if he was.

Sora squeezed her way through the last of the crowd without a word, left hand resting on Samidare’s hilt as she picked up the pace. It took less than two minutes for her to arrive at the agreed upon spot- she had given Daichi free reign to choose their meeting place, and the young man’s choice was… unique, to say the least. A small circular clearing, perhaps fifty meters in diameter and surrounded by trees, the area was little used due to the wide, deep pond that sat dead in the center, leaving little room to maneuver unless one knew how to water walk. Terrible for Academy Students and Genin, but perfect for what she had in mind.

First to arrive, as usual. She thought, leaning up against one of the trees that lined the clearing. All that was left to do now was wait.

yamaguchi daichi

[yamaguchi daichi]

I COULD EAT THE WORLD RAW

Daichi had kept to himself through his academy and genin years—Pathfinder’s orders. He wasn’t an exceptional student, more focused on the things he was interested in than becoming a well-rounded shinobi, and had particular struggled with the more martial schools of teaching—he could throw a kunai well enough, but swordplay went way over his head, and his hand-to-hand combat wasn’t much better. All of that to say, he hadn’t expected his old bukijutsu instructor to reach out like this. He was surprised she even remembered him; nothing about him was particularly memorable. Still, it would be nice to reconnect—he remembered liking her lessons as much as he liked anything that wasn’t studying seals—and he’d never been one to turn down an opportunity for training. Hoshi at his heels, Daichi made his way to the training grounds where he had chosen to meet with Sora. It was busy today, students and genin eager to hone their skills and prove their worth. He worked his way through the crowd delicately—paused to say a brief hello to a few students he’d worked with recently—and made it to the clearing, a pretty spot with a deep pond where he’d first learned how to water walk. "Minami-sensei!” he greeted, jogging up to her once he’d made it in. "It’s nice to see you again!” Hoshi, impassive and unimpressed, stared up at the woman with dark eyes and pressed herself solidly against Daichi’s leg. Her tail was still, her ears alert. "I was surprised when you reached out,” he said. "I didn’t think you’d remember me. What’d you want to talk about?”

Sora Minami -- 266

LAIKA OF THQ

[Sora Minami]

The boy arrived with a dog.

She was a large thing, with dark fur inter-spaced with brown and an imposing physique that would have intimidated a lesser Shinobi. It didn’t seem impressed by her, but Sora gave the rottweiler a single, calculating glance and dismissed it for the distraction it was. She had more important things to deal with right now.

"Hello, Yamaguchi-san." Sora said, tilting her head at the honorific. Had she taught him in the Academy? He did look vaguely familiar, but there had been so many faces those first few years and too little time to get to know them. Everything had been harder in those days; having class without running water, without sanitation, without electricity or consistent food had been hard enough, but add on the stress of a new role and hundreds of whining, snot-nosed kids trying to find some semblance of normal amidst the chaos? It was a wonder she remembered any of them at all.

"It's… nice to see you too." She said, blinking at the boy’s earnest obliviousness. Did he really not understand what was going on here?

"Yes, well." Sora began, clearing her throat as she pushed off of her tree, right hand crossed beneath her breasts to rest on Samidare’s hilt. "After we’re done here, I intend to kill the Mizukage."

She cocked her head to the side as she spoke, lips curled in a slight, knowing smile. Her voice was clear, flat and focused in a way the boy would recognize, if he really had been one of her students. It was her teaching voice, the one she put on when she wanted to impart something vital to a student… after she had beaten the ever living shit out of them.

"I thought you might want to know, give your… position."

yamaguchi daichi

[yamaguchi daichi]

I COULD EAT THE WORLD RAW

Hoshi pressed up harder against Daichi’s leg, knocking him just slightly off balance. He glanced down to check on her: no teeth, lips not curled, hackles relaxed. But she was utterly still, and staring at Sora with laser focus. After we’re done here, I intend to kill the Mizukage. The tone was so familiar that it took a moment for the words to process: he was thrown back four years, laying bruised and exhausted in the dirt of the academy training field after round after round after round of sparring drills. But this was not there and then, it was here and now. His heart rate jack-rabbited, adrenaline flooding his system, and he bit back a flare of vicious irritation—irrational, unnecessary. Toru was a steel wall, steady and solid; his bodyguard was his eyes and ears, unwavering support, deathbound loyalty. Guard dog, even for a petty test, even for a training exercise. Daichi would never leave him, and the suggestion that he would—that he could—fail his duty left a foul taste in his mouth. "Oh,” he said. He cocked his head, grinning—sharp and humorless, all of his good-natured enthusiasm wisping away like mist. "Good luck with that. Hoshi, Sagi. Go.” The rottweiler, silent and stern, took off; nostrils flaring, scent tracking, paws pounding against the hard-packed dirt. Daichi threw down a smoke bomb and formed a single handseal, pushing off hard with his right leg to body-flicker across the pond. A tiny push of chakra, shifting the flow through his optic nerve, and his emerald green eye shifted to an ominous crimson; vitality detection, keeping track of Sora through the smoke. He had never worked with Sora after graduating and knew little about the full extent of her capabilities, but what he did recall was that she was frighteningly fast with a sword even years ago. There wasn’t a world in which he could outpace her, but in this scenario that wasn’t his job; he just had to delay her enough for Hoshi to reach the Mizukage.

Sora Minami -- 348

LAIKA OF THQ

[Sora Minami]

The dog understood before Daichi did. The rottweiler didn’t snarl, didn’t bark or growl or snap; it simply tensed, waiting for the command from its master, every muscle in its body ready to leap into the fray and tear her to pieces. That order never came. Instead the Chuunin spoke, all his humor and enthusiasm evaporating into something cold and sharp, like a knife drawn in a crowded room. Wishing her luck- and then an order, but not the one she had expected.

Oh Daichi. Sora thought as the boy tossed down a smoke bomb and leapt away, likely trying to buy himself time. That… was a mistake. Chakra pooled in her feet the moment her former student was out of range, her frame surging in an explosion of speed as wind chakra burst from her sandals, propelling her towards her target… only, it wasn’t Daichi she followed, but his dog.

Samidare came out in a flash and, before the Chuunin or his dog could react, the flat of the blade slammed into Hoshi’s skull. The dog grunted, not in pain but in reflex, her body going limp as she tumbled, rolling in a heap of seemingly boneless flesh that had her sprawled, unconscious, against the trunk of a nearby tree.

"That was sloppy, Yamaguchi." Sora said as she turned towards the cloud of smoke, Samidare held in a loose grip at her side, ready. "Sending the dog to fetch backup was a smart move, but you should have waited until after my vision was clouded to do it. As it stands… Well. Be glad I don’t feel like committing animal cruelty today."

And then, with a casual flick of her wrist, Sora brought Samidare up in an almost lazy rising diagonal, Fuuton chakra pulsing through the blade as she swung- and unleashed a gale of wind powerful enough to blow his entire smokescreen away. "Ittoryu: Tatsumaki.”

Jutsu/SA's/Equipment Used

SPOILER: Click to show

yamaguchi daichi
Jutsu:
NAME: Kazesanpo [Wind walk]
RANK: B
CHAKRA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu
ELEMENT: Wind
DESCRIPTION: The blade is only as deadly as its reach, so maneuvering around the battlefield is important to a swordsman, in order to get close to the target, or avoid attacks. By channeling wind chakra into their feet, the user is able to swiftly run, so quickly that to the naked eye it seems like a blur.

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.

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.

[yamaguchi daichi]

I COULD EAT THE WORLD RAW

Daichi’s heart clambered up into his throat as he realized his mistake, far too late to do anything about it—before he could even cry out to warn Hoshi, the dog was unconscious, tumbling up against the trunk of a nearby tree as limp as an old, worn-out ragdoll. His doujutsu told him that Hoshi was still alive, which was a small mercy. He didn’t want to think about the alternative; if Sora were a crueler teacher, or if this were a conflict with an actual enemy, his beloved companion’s blood would be on his hands. For purposes of the exercise, the sensible thing to do would be to assume that Hoshi was dead. He wanted to throw up at the thought, guilt and nausea roiling in his gut, but he steeled himself, taking advantage of the precious seconds that Hoshi had gifted him by rapidly forming five handseals and then biting into his palm harm enough to break the skin. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu.” His hand slapped against the ground, waiting for the tell-tale puff of smoke and flap of snowy white wings that would herald the arrival of his second line of defense. None came. Neither Hei nor Bai answered the call—which either meant they were otherwise occupied, or simply uninterested in responding. He swore, his mind racing; he was rapidly falling down his list of backup plans with each faltering strategy. What kind of bodyguard was he? As his technique failed, the smoke was cleared by Sora’s technique, his opportunity wasted. Which left him with plan C: run. He threw a kunai with an explosive note attached at Sora’s feet and formed a handseal—not to set off the paperbomb, however, but to once-again body-flicker, fleeing the training grounds and cutting through a side street to make his way to the Kage tower himself. Guilt hammered at his heart, the image of Hoshi’s limp form clear and horrible in his mind’s eye, but he pushed it down: he had to focus. He couldn’t afford to let himself get distracted.

Sora Minami -- 339

LAIKA OF THQ

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Kuchiyose no Jutsu [Summoning Technique] [FAILED]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [General]
ELEMENT: None
HANDSEALS: 5
DESCRIPTION:
One of the most common and beneficial techniques in the known shinobi world. Simply drawing blood and releasing a mass of chakra from one's extended hand is capable of calling an animal or otherwise to one's location. As a Space-Time Ninjutsu, this technique is capable of instantly displacing an intended summon from wherever they may be to the requested location, though there are obstacles that can prevent this. To use this jutsu, one must first make a contract with whatever they are summoning, living creature or not. Both the size and the stamina of what a shinobi calls upon increases the demand of chakra they must spend to perform the jutsu.

NAME: Shunshin no Jutsu [Body Flicker Technique] [2/4 TIMES USED]
RANK: D
CHAKRA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [General]
ELEMENT: None
HANDSEALS: 1
DESCRIPTION:
By invigorating one's entire body with chakra, a shinobi can seemingly disappear and reappear in another location faster than most people can see. Often times one's movements are disguised with the use of an extra element, be it a smoke bomb, leaves, water, sand, etc. in order to hide the user's trajectory from those with skilled eyes. Though it mimics teleportation, it is important to remember this jutsu merely boosts the agility of its user. As useful as this technique is, it can only be used 4 times in a battle thread, compounding in exertion and difficulty each time. with any more usages beyond that result in muscle tears in the legs from overexertion. The hand seal for this technique must be held until the shinobi reaches their destination, making it impossible to utilize other techniques regardless of any preparation.

[Sora Minami]

Sora saw the thrown kunai, Daichi’s face etched in panicked fear as he formed a seal- and she moved, not to stop him but to intercept, her own hands coming up in the same seal as the Chuunin blurred- and she slammed right into him mid-flight, their collective momentum enough to knock the wind from her lungs as she squared her shoulder and shoved her former student down. Hard.

"There is no running, Daichi." She said, voice flat and calm despite the raged lance of pain that was running through her shoulder. A sprain, more than likely, but given how much speed had been involved in their collision it wasn’t impossible that she’d fractured something on her end. Which, of course, probably translated to several broken things for Daichi but… well. That was sort of the point.

"Your Kage is down. You are the last line of defense. There is no one to help you. No backup." The Jounin brandished her blade at the boy, looking for all the world the terrifying killer that she was… and smiled. "Now get the fuck up and do your job."

yamaguchi daichi

Jutsu/SA's/Equipment Used

SPOILER: Click to show

Jutsu:
NAME: Shunshin no Jutsu [Body Flicker Technique] [1/4 TIMES USED]
RANK: D
CHAKRA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [General]
ELEMENT: None
HANDSEALS: 1
DESCRIPTION:
By invigorating one's entire body with chakra, a shinobi can seemingly disappear and reappear in another location faster than most people can see. Often times one's movements are disguised with the use of an extra element, be it a smoke bomb, leaves, water, sand, etc. in order to hide the user's trajectory from those with skilled eyes. Though it mimics teleportation, it is important to remember this jutsu merely boosts the agility of its user. As useful as this technique is, it can only be used 4 times in a battle thread, compounding in exertion and difficulty each time. with any more usages beyond that result in muscle tears in the legs from overexertion. The hand seal for this technique must be held until the shinobi reaches their destination, making it impossible to utilize other techniques regardless of any preparation.
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.

[yamaguchi daichi]

I COULD EAT THE WORLD RAW

He should have guessed that someone as experienced as Sora wouldn’t fall for his gambit, and now he was paying the price for his ego. She collided into him, both of them at the extreme speeds afforded by shunshin, and knocked him down to the ground. Daichi landed flat on his back, hard, all the wind being knocked out of him as he wheezed in pain, trying to catch his breath. His right arm, shattered only some months before and still fragile from the healing process, shrieked in protest at the impact—something rebroke, he was certain of it. A couple of ribs, probably; maybe a dislocated shoulder? Hard to tell the extent of his injuries in the moment, but his body was wracked with pain, his head spinning. Sora brandished her blade at him, and if this had been a real fight, he would already be dead. So would Hoshi. And Toru would be left with only Kyoko at his side. As reliant on handseals as he was for his preferred tactics, he was in no condition to be able to form them quickly with his arm busted; Sora’s blade would be at his throat before he had the chance to complete a sequence. Out of options and his back pressed against the wall, desperate to prove himself, he took the only recourse he had left to him: fighting dirty, try to take her by surprise. With his busted arm he lunged up and forward from the ground, his face contorted into a grimace of pain as he pushed his hand through the tip of Samidare’s blade, the tip thrusting through the meat of his palm and clean through to the other side. If that gave him even a moment’s advantage to act, he claimed it—pushing himself up with his other hand to kick hard at the side of Sora’s knee. He was no taijutsu practitioner and this was no meticulously practiced technique—he was a desperate man fighting for his Lord’s life, and he was damn well going to act like it.

Sora Minami -- 342

LAIKA OF THQ

[Sora Minami]

Sora didn’t try to attack Daichi as he looked up at her, panic and pain mingling together in a desperate blend of fear and anger that slowly bubbled within the boy until, at last, he moved- and surprised her, shoving his hand through the tip of blade and yanking it to the side as he stood up and kicked at the side of her lead leg, aiming to buckle her knee. She could have blocked the kick, but the Jounin let the blow land, wincing as pain lanced up her leg in time with her breath… and sighed.

"Better." She breathed, pulsing a small thread of Raiton chakra through Samidare as she looked into Daichi’s eyes, her blade still sticking out of his palm. The contact would be enough to push the Raiton energy into his body- enough to lock every muscle in his arm solid and send waves of numbing pain through his entire torso, but not enough to knock him out or suffocate him. She didn’t want him to die, she wanted him to hurt. So he would know, to the damn inch, what his limits really were… and how to push past them.

"But not enough." Sora snapped as she pulled her sword back, sliding the blade out of Daichi’s palm before delivering a kick of her own between his legs, stomping her foot down after the impact in order to torque her body around and slam her right fist into the Chuunin’s face, likely breaking his nose on top of filling him with the utter agony from her kick. "You’re not strong enough to protect him right now. And you fucking know it."

yamaguchi daichi

Jutsu/SA's/Equipment Used

SPOILER: Click to show

Jutsu:
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.

[yamaguchi daichi]

I COULD EAT THE WORLD RAW

Raiton crackled through the sword, into his hand, up the length of his arm and through his body. Daichi bit his tongue so hard it bled, and he choked on the sudden flood of iron in his mouth, spitting it out on the ground with a strained gasp. Distantly, clinically, he understood somewhere in the back of his mind that this was a pain he had never experienced before; even the wracking full-body pain of Toru’s toxic coral dimmed in his memory compared to this. He could hardly breathe for the enormity of it. All that breath was knocked out of him in one long, low keen as Sora ripped the sword out of his hand and kicked him in the crotch, stomping down; he heard the tell-tale snap of his pelvic bone breaking right before his nose was flattened against his face. He was on the ground, wheezing, synapses struggling to fire in the face of the damage that was striving to bring him into unconsciousness. But beneath the pain and the distant, objective knowledge that this exercise was a mission failure ten times over, that he’d be at the hospital for at least a day again: there was a glint of something. Anger, yes, desperation yes, but beneath that as well: a stubborn refusal to just stay down. "I know,” Daichi said, dry and croaking like all the air had been punched out of his lungs, because it had been. But he propped himself up with his good arm, and even though his legs were shaking and he couldn’t stand up straight for the pain that was still firing through his pelvis, he stood up. His good hand clenched into a fist; he raised the other, shattered as it was, in a loose imitation of what a fist looked like in a child’s drawing. He swayed in place, half out of his mind with delirium; he was in no state to press any kind of offensive. But he was standing his ground.

Sora Minami -- 334

LAIKA OF THQ

[Sora Minami]

Sora watched Daichi’s face as he took the abuse, his nose shattered beneath her fist, breath coming out of him in one long, keening whine that masked the sound of his pelvic bone cracking from the force of her kick. He hit the ground hard a moment later, mouth gurgling deep red bubbles of blood as he struggled to breathe. The Jounin could tell he was in pain, excruciating pain, the likes of which most Shinobi dreaded. The damage he had taken would have knocked a lesser Chuunin out cold… but somehow, the Yamaguchi was still awake.

That’s it. She thought, sheathing Samidare as the boy struggled to his feet, acknowledging his own weakness and yet standing anyway. There was a glint to his gaze that hadn’t been there in the beginning, a quiet, stubborn refusal to yield that she knew all too well. Beyond grit, deeper than determination, the look in Daichi’s eye was one of feral, inhuman denial- he wasn’t going to give up. No matter the cost, he would get back up. He would not stay down. He would not quit. He would not give in. It was a decision, a solemn vow uttered in the very depths of his soul… "If you want me to go down, put me down.”

She had made the same vow, once, long ago. And now, so had he.

"Do you remember the first lesson I taught you in the Academy?." Sora asked as the boy raised his hands, half ready to collapse from his wounds, legs wobbling, barely able to form a first in one hand, let alone two. She moved in slowly, almost gently, raising her right hand up before chopping it down on the side of the boy’s neck, hard enough to knock him out cold.

"It’s not about how hard you can hit someone. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep on going. You pass, Daichi."

yamaguchi daichi

[yamaguchi daichi]

I COULD EAT THE WORLD RAW

Do you remember the first lesson I taught you in the Academy? It took a few moments too long for Daichi to understand the question posed to him: thinking felt like dragging his mind through shattered glass. Even the simple act of listening was agonizing. He blinked, slow and out-of-focus, as Sora slowly approached. His academy years had been fraught, isolating: Pathfinder Minori and his mother were strict about who he was allowed to interact with and why and for how long. His sister was often his only companion, once she enrolled in the academy as well, but even her presence felt stifling—he loved Kyoko, but she’d always been overbearing, suffocating, glued to his hip when all he yearned for was connection. In lieu of that, he studied: picture-perfect Pathfinder-Heir, always doing his duty, working tirelessly to become the best shinobi he could be even with the limitations placed on him by his clan. Alone, in the end, except for one throughline: Toru. White hair and a stoic face ever-present at the academy, as withdrawn and isolated as Daichi had been; in the locker rooms at the chuunin exams, bandaging his wounded leg; we’re the finest shinobi in the world; the newly-minted Mizukage, small and stern and fierce, now taller than Daichi and stronger than he ever thought possible. You don’t have to do that. I don’t, but I am. You are fit because I say. You completed your mission even if it meant to the death. My life is yours. Even in practice, even in simulation: he was the Mizukage’s shield, and he would sooner die before he gave up fighting. The hand came down, and Daichi blacked out.

Sora Minami -- 280

LAIKA OF THQ

[Sora Minami]

Sora watched the light flutter out from Daichi’s eyes as he fell into her shoulder; she caught his unconscious body with a breath, one arm sliding underneath his shoulder to keep him mostly upright. He was shorter than her by some inches, but no less heavy for all his lankiness; men, sadly, put on muscle differently than women, and while the Yamaguchi boy was by no means stacked he had a wiriness to him that belied how much he actually weighed. Especially when he was blacked out from injuries. Tch. Making me carry you to the medics again I see.

Still, the Jounin wasn’t mad; he had done well, standing firm against a superior opponent despite knowing he had no chance, fighting through pain and broken bones to not only do his duty, but more than that. Letting loose a soft, slow sigh, the pink-haired woman bent her knees slightly, sliding her free hand down to hook her arm behind Daichi’s knees, twisting him around so she could lift him up in her arms, bridal style. There were medics nearby, but she didn’t feel like waiting for them to notice there was a patient who needed help.

So, with a breath, Sora moved, carrying her former student towards the nearest medic station, holding him carefully so as not to injure him further. "Don’t worry Daichi. Gonna get you to a medic."

yamaguchi daichi

[yamaguchi daichi]

He wasn’t out for long. Thirty minutes, maybe; the medics had assured him that it was a mild concussion, unlikely to cause any long-term problems. More headaches in the long term, maybe, due to how liable he was to bonking his head, and from there ensued the lecture from the medic reading his chart, scolding him mercilessly for coming in with the same arm shattered twice in a year. It could be fixed, but the fixing got harder with each time he needed to be mended, and would he please stop treating his body like a ragdoll? The healing techniques were long and painful, but the hours whittled by in a haze, his mind drifting aimlessly through memory. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep on going. He spent so much time wracked with indecision, lack of confidence, lack of clarity: all the youthful cockiness of his genin years wisped away like so much smoke, left with only a terrifying responsibility and the near-manic urge to see it through. Lying on a cot with a fussy medic overhead, feeling his bones and muscle and sinew knit themselves back together, Daichi felt more clear of mind and purpose than he had in months. My life is yours. Sora deserved a fruit basket or something. [fin.]

Sora Minami -- 216

LAIKA OF THQ