[yamaguchi daichi]

I COULD EAT THE WORLD RAW

Round two finished, and a few weeks until the start of round three. The participants were now settled in the dormitories in Kagamino no Shi, and while Daichi had a deep fondness for the capital and its multitude of lakes and waterfalls, he didn’t have much time to waste on enjoying himself. There was a lot to do to prepare in these three weeks, and his anxiety was fermenting with every day that passed. Just when it seemed like his brain was sprinting in circles at terminal velocity, though, he received a brief missive from Toru, dutifully delivered by Mushi. He tended to leave her in the Mizukage’s general vicinity when he was on duty but ranging; if he needed Daichi for anything, he could give the dog a note, and she’d dutifully deliver as quickly as she was able. Meet me at my quarters in the tower at 1600. At 1530, Daichi was there. (Mushi was not, as promised.) As Lord Mizukage and his entourage were residing in the Daimyo tower for the duration of their stay in the capital, so getting to Toru’s suite was a simple task, and the chronically early bodyguard waited patiently in the little sitting area just inside the entrance to the suite. 1545. 1550. 1555. 1600. 1605. Daichi may have been chronically early, but there was no one in Mizu no Kuni more prompt and exact than the Mizukage. So what was keeping him?

Kaguya Toru -- 243

LAIKA OF THQ

[Kaguya Toru]

if i'm a danger to myself Just think what I could do to you yamaguchi daichi

Toru was, by most metrics and rules, extremely punctual. Not because he had a moral ground to be punctual, but because he had always been this way. It seemed to be engrained into his genetics for one reason or another. He was never late, and it gave him great anguish to be late. Not anxiety, anguish, or anger. But since anger was less so an option nowadays, anguish.

So he arrived at the Daimyo's tower, ten minutes late. But, he had a decent reason for it. There was a rather large size bit of coral that was absolutely stuck to his hand through some sort of comical act of adhesion. Toru, however, was infinitely annoyed by it and was shaking his hand at the wrist awkwardly when he had walked in to find Daichi already present and looking quite anxiety-riddled.

"Apologies for my tardiness.." He didn't reveal why he was late, though with how observant Daichi was it was likely he would see the pale piece of coral attached to Toru's objecting hand that was flailing back and forth, Toru's expression meanwhile remained as it often was - neutral and poked with boredom and a lack of amusement to boot.

This was normal for Toru, but the way he was shaking his hand on top of the neutral look did provide for quite a comical look.

"I was hoping we could train, or at least bounce something I want to try off of each other, hm?"

OWL

[yamaguchi daichi]

I COULD EAT THE WORLD RAW

Another five minutes passed. Daichi was agitated, his leg bouncing restlessly, and was on the brink of leaving the office entirely when the door finally opened and the Mizukage walked in. Daichi sighed, a weight immediately lifting from his shoulders, though he still felt—jittery. "No problem, my lord,” Daichi replied instantly, and it was true; he didn’t actually care if Toru was a few minutes late, so long as he was safe. The lateness itself wasn’t the issue, but rather what it could have implied had Toru been absent any longer. Now that Toru wasn’t absent, Daichi’s worried speculation could drift off in favor of curiosity over the bit of coral attached to Toru’s uselessly flailing hand. His lips pressed together into a suppressed grin as he tried and failed to stifle his amusement, and he held his hands out in a wordless request to take a look at how the offending invertebrate had affixed itself to Toru’s skin. "Sure, whatever you need,” Daichi said in response to Toru’s request, examining the bit of coral carefully. What Toru could possibly want to train with him specifically, Daichi had no idea, and frankly doubted his ability to keep up with the Mizukage, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t willing to try. "I dunno how much help I’ll be, but I’ll do what I can—what happened with this, though?” Clearly Daichi was stuck on the sticky coral. "How on earth did this happen?”

Kaguya Toru -- 245

LAIKA OF THQ

[Kaguya Toru]

if i'm a danger to myself Just think what I could do to you yamaguchi daichi

Toru nodded at the other's acknowledgment and would motion for him to begin following. If Daichi did, well their conversation would continue more on-the-go style. Though this made little difference to the topic Daichi picked up as they started to move along.

"A technique I am training.." Or developing, it was hard to tell whether he was developing them or training them at any given moment. Isobu was only helpful to a certain extent as he could hardly come out as a second body to assist Toru and Toru couldn't lend him enough control to actually teach him either as it would cause undoubtedly an issue... An issue he was not supposed to cause. Coral though was very much alive, and it was hard to control a living thing as much as it was being required of him. It was, absolutely an experience. Though not one he would deny had given him quite a bit of wisdom in life.

In due time they would arrive in a private training arena attached to the Daimyo tower. It was meant for Daimyo soldiers, but ever since the Mizukage and Daimyo had been one and the same it had become something of a place for shinobi to practice as well.

Toru looked at Daichi.

"You will have to brace yourself, what I am trying to do is dangerous." He warned, looking over his shoulder towards the other escort that had come with them and he would motion with his head. The man would bring out a green vial... Suspiciously familiar.

"You will drink this after we are done."

OWL

[yamaguchi daichi]

I COULD EAT THE WORLD RAW

Daichi of course followed obediently. Mizukage’s response was… vague, but that was to be expected, given how relatively public they were. He doubted that Toru wanted to be too open about what he was working on where just anyone could overhear. It gave him a small thrill to think that he was in Toru’s confidence. He didn’t want just anyone to overhear, but Daichi could know. And could help, at that. Granted, the other escort was there as well, but still. They arrived at the Daimyo tower’s training area, where it was just the three of them: Mizukage, bodyguard, and escort. Toru’s warning was intense, but Daichi only stood up straighter, his chin lifting with… admittedly somewhat unwarranted pride. Dangerous he could handle, and if Toru needed his help, then he would help. No question. But then he looked over at what Toru was looking at. It took a moment for the realization to sink in, but when it did, he visibly paled. He remembered what he had witnessed on the screen; loss of coordination, children vomiting up blood and bile, their veins thickening and darkening up the lengths of their necks, wheezing and crying and on the ground wracked with pain. Daichi looked from the vial to Toru. His jaw set. "As you say, my lord,” he said firmly. "Whatever you need.”

Kaguya Toru -- 225

LAIKA OF THQ

[Kaguya Toru]

if i'm a danger to myself Just think what I could do to you yamaguchi daichi

Toru would nod at Daichi's assurance before he would wave the other guard away and set himself several meters away from Daichi to begin their spar.

"Don't hold back," He hummed from across the way, he closed his eyes then took a deep breath as he focused on what was deep inside of his body, his very soul. It was a feeling that he had not ever experienced until he had become the jinchuuriki. This introspection which brought forth immense power. It was beyond the comprehension of most, far beyond. But it didn't take long, he touched the glass of where Isobu swam, the expansive aquarium sealed in his body. Isobu touched the glass, both eyes closed and Toru's eyes would open and what looked like a flame would shroud his body, first a flame that would settle into bubbling searing hot red chakra.

Toru's eyes were ablaze, but he continued to stand there, one tail.

This would likely be good for Daichi as well, good practice if ever there came a need to seal away his power, combat it, or command others in how to best approach Toru. Though this would be good in other ways too.

Now, the shroud was not enough - Toru had to focus on his innermost self, beyond the power Isobu granted. This was a development on top of Isobu's powers. Something both of them had been cultivating together after Toru's discovery of such a possibility - toxic coral.

The hand that had coral stuck to it would not cast it away easily, and he would bring his hands together, palm to palm as polyps of coral would appear and begin to travel from his feet towards Daichi quite quickly, aiming to displace him from where he stood.

OWL

[yamaguchi daichi]

I COULD EAT THE WORLD RAW

Don’t hold back? What did he— Ah. Daichi had been informed of what to look out for: blazing eyes, a shroud of viciously hot chakra visible even to those without sensory abilities. He’d never seen it in person before, but one thing had been firmly asserted to him: if Toru lost control and tails started appearing, then the situation had to be handled, and fast. A single tail of chakra lashed out behind Toru. Daichi’s lone exposed eye went wide. Toru was still in control, though, Daichi could tell; he was calm except for the crimson blaze in his eyes. This was training. They would both be fine. He hadn’t quite been expecting to go toe-to-toe with the Mizukage, though. His skillset lay primarily in intel-gathering and large-scale defensive techniques; he could handle himself well enough in a fight against the average shinobi, but Toru was no average shinobi. In an actual fight, he’d be dead in an instant. Still, he’d give it all he had. Toru brought his hands together and coral raced along the ground, straight for Daichi at a rapid clip. He grunted and dodged to the side, forming hand seals as quickly as he could manage as he scrambled out of the coral’s immediate trajectory. If he was lucky, it would be stuck on a straight path. In the event that he wasn’t—and he was so rarely lucky—he would finish the string of handseals needed for a simple shell barrier, forming a translucent cube around himself once the technique was complete. Toru was exceptionally sturdy and exceptionally strong, and there was no doubt in his mind that he would be able to shatter Daichi’s barrier; but whether or not he could do so with the coral was a different question. The answer was likely yes, but the how and how long will it take would both be valuable pieces of information once gleaned.

Kaguya Toru -- 333

LAIKA OF THQ

[Kaguya Toru]

if i'm a danger to myself Just think what I could do to you yamaguchi daichi

Toru felt a prickle of irritation rise up in his stomach, it was not one that would allow him to lose control. Rather, one that presented itself as a marker of his failure. The coral had progressed, but it was still that regular coral. It was not the coral that he had wanted to create, he was still working on how to focus his chakra correctly along with his bijuu's chakra to create this particular kind of coral. After all the toxin for the exams had been extracted specifically from one piece of coral he had managed to create, it had been enough for all of the participants. Which spoke of how dangerous it could truly be.

What is the feeling... When I get it right there is always... Something else. It's different.

We will get it, just be patient.

I know we will, but I have a hard time with patience.

The rapid approach of coral would hold at Toru's stray thought, or rather his brief conversation with Isobu. It gave Daichi time to create a barrier around himself.

The young Mizukage would inhale then, and focus once again, motioning with his hands upwards he would bring coral up from seemingly underground. It seemed to grow much as a living being would. It turned into what looked like two sharp spears, and he would send them one after the other, launching themselves into the barrier. This coral was known for being extremely sturdy, with only the greatest of kinetic force being able to break it down. But that was irrelevant here, what he was focusing on - and it was clear by the dilated pupils and concentration on his features - was maintaining a particularly colorful polyp distribution on the 'spears' themselves.

But just as one collided with the wall, the color disappeared.

"Shit."

OWL

[yamaguchi daichi]

I COULD EAT THE WORLD RAW

Two sharp spears of coral grew rapidly up from the ground as Daichi held his barrier carefully in place, watching Toru and his coral with keen eyes. The barrier was translucent so his sight wasn’t impeded as he watched the spears rise up from the ground, more colorful than the growth that had initially raced towards him. Daichi swallowed thickly. One spear hurtled towards his barrier and shattered it instantly—but the vibrant color had disappeared. Daichi didn’t have much time to consider this, however, as the second spear was close behind, and he barely shifted to the side in time for both spears to clip the meat of his bicep instead of his chest. He grunted in pain, but he kept his eye on Toru—and after a moment’s thought, activated his doujutsu with a small push of chakra, his exposed eye flaring crimson. Chakra detection—coral was a living thing, he thought, but it seemed more likely that if this was an ability granted to Toru by the bijuu living within him, then the coral’s chakra signature would light up like a stadium. At least he could better see where it was coming from. In the same moment he pulled an explosive note from the pouch at his left hip, stuck it at the tip of the spear that had struck the barrier, and then backed away as quickly as he could. The coral was exceptionally sturdy and he doubted that one note alone would shatter it, but perhaps the impact of the tip against the barrier combined with the point-blank force of a note could blow a chunk of it off, and then Daichi could use it somehow. For now, however, he just backed away, watching and waiting to see what Toru would do next. Blood dripped down the side of his arm where two thick chunks had been taken out of his flesh. "That was it, right?” he asked. "Before it changed color like that, you had it.”

Kaguya Toru -- 331

LAIKA OF THQ

[Kaguya Toru]

if i'm a danger to myself Just think what I could do to you yamaguchi daichi

One of his spears struck, though not as true as he would have liked. Of course, there was no aim to kill Daichi, but to say that he was not aiming to injure would have been a lie. The training was not training without high stakes, it did not quite apply a high enough pressure to make it seem 'real' enough without real stakes it would be inapplicable in the real world which was why Toru always trained with deadliness in mind.

Red gaze scanned Daichi's actions, dojutsu from the flicker of change in the other's eyes, and then the explosive note on the lodged piece of coral that had become more like a spear. Toru did not retreat, he was far enough away, but the note would go off and it would bite straight into the spear. Its point-blank distance broke the coral in half due to how thin it was from being in a spear shape, other bits shattered and flew in many different directions, firing off like bullets. The Mizukage would put a hand over the lower half of his face instinctively to shield himself from the incoming debris, but he kept an eye on the other momentarily until the smoke and dust settled and he could at least make the figure out.

"Yes," He responded plainly. He kept staring at Daichi, mesmerized for a moment stuck in eternity. But he shook himself out of it and would summon more coral this time attempting to make a platform underneath Daichi to make him unstable, before forcing colorful polyps of coral to merge from that platform, polyps turning to needles it was hard, there was sweat on his brow as he tried to maintain this particular manipulation of the coral his goal was to strike Daichi now with pinpricks to his skin from underneath.

OWL

[yamaguchi daichi]

I COULD EAT THE WORLD RAW

Toru was far enough away that Daichi wasn’t worried about actually hurting him with the explosive note—a single handseal and the note blew up, breaking the coral structure in half. Daichi darted forward to catch the broken piece as it flew off, gripping it tightly in one hand. "Yes,” Toru said, and Daichi beamed. If he got it once, he could get it again—they just had to keep trying. The ground suddenly became unstable beneath his feet, and he looked down to see the gleaming red of the coral’s chakra signature forming a platform beneath him. He tried to retreat backward off the platform, but his footing was unsteady, and he wasn’t able to flee quickly enough to avoid the sharp needle-points of coral that shot up towards his feet. he swallowed back another grunt of pain as the pointy bits pierced through the thin soles of his tabi boots and into his flesh, but he wrenched himself free and away, gathering chakra into his fingertip and using the white-hot emission to scrawl a seal into the surface of the coral in his other hand. It was a small thing, but it could be useful depending on what Toru did next. For now Daichi just waited, uncomfortably shifting to the balls of his feet to mitigate the pain in his arches, preparing himself for whatever Toru’s next action would be. He wondered dimly if Toru had been able to hold the specific construction that time; he was sweating profusely with the effort, his pale skin gleaming with it, his brow furrowed in concentration. Daichi swallowed thickly, and waited.

Kaguya Toru -- 268

LAIKA OF THQ

[Kaguya Toru]

I would know him in death At the end of the world yamaguchi daichi

Toru lurched forward, his expression changing lightly with a greater amount of focus. Did it work? The other seemed to grunt in pain, but did that mean he had managed to catch him with even one of the polyps? It was hard to tell, but they would both find out in due time if it had. Daichi would feel the effects of the toxin very soon if he had done it right, in Toru's case he would only know if Daichi started to act differently.

There was a pause in their movement as he analyzed their battle field. Daichi was off the unstable platform but might have potentially been already taken by the toxins. Toru would have to figure it out for sure, the only way he could figure out to do it was through making Daichi move - his body, his chakra, just make him expend natural energetic resources to speed up the process of toxicity.

So, he would push the unstable platform down before he very suddenly made a single hand seal so that he could get in close just behind his bodyguard. Coming to a full stop, before thrusting the heel of his palm against the other's back hoping to shove him forward hard and cause unstable footing so that he could sweep his legs from under him with a sweeping kick following his little palm thrust.

OWL

SPOILER: Click to show

body flicker

[yamaguchi daichi]

I COULD EAT THE WORLD RAW

The bright red chakra of the coral platform descended into the ground, and before Daichi could try to anticipate Toru’s next move, the MIzukage was already forming a handseal, and had disappeared. There was a hard strike against his back and Daichi grunted, stumbling forward. He gripped the coral tight in his hand, but before he could do anything with it his legs were swept out from under him, and he fell to the ground. His recovery was quick enough despite the solid thump—Toru wasn’t hitting him as hard as Daichi knew he could, but it still hurt, each one of Toru's strikes was as solid and immutable as diamond—and he scrambled away and to his feet, chest rising and falling with the effort. His head swam as he stood, his vision blurring for a moment as a sudden bout of vertigo washed over him. He shook his head, trying to dispel the feeling. Dead in an hour. Daichi wondered what would happen if he got hit with that coral again. "Try it again,” he said, steadying himself. "You need to be able to hold it, right? Try and hit me with it again.” He threw the broken piece of coral he claimed briefly up in the air, took the airtime to form a single handseal, and when it came falling back down it was a meter in length, now effectively a makeshift spear—which he hurled at the Mizukage. His aim was probably off, but at least it was some kind of offense.

Kaguya Toru -- 241

LAIKA OF THQ

[Kaguya Toru]

I would know him in death At the end of the world yamaguchi daichi

The makeshift coral spear came flying at him in retaliation. Toru stood his ground until the last moment, where he shifted out of the way with a rotation not allowing for his own creation to snipe him. Though, he could have arguably just controlled it out of the way, or destroyed it he decided not to for the sake of Daichi's own efforts. It was not honorable to do what he could have done, and he did try to fight with some semblance of honor, he was a swordsman before anything else.

The red cloak continued to bubble around him as Daichi told him to try again. This concerned Toru, but the concern did not make it up to his features. If he was being serious, it could hurt him a lot more than Toru had intended. Did he have enough antidote to make sure that he survived another dose? Did he hit him with a dose initially, a moment ago before he had gotten close to him? Perhaps. Perhaps Daichi was saying it because his body was already feeling the effects.

The only obvious thing about his posture was his fingers tightening into a fist, just for a moment before he found his place inside with Isobu.

Alright alright, I'll give ya more.

Toru needed to focus, and so a second tail sprouted from the shroud, making the area all around just that much hotter, his features more animalistic, long fingernails and his eyes bright red with hypnotic lines now standing out.

He inhaled, creating life, more coral swirled around him turning into senbon with polyps growing all over. He was sweating profusely now as he lowered his stance, his heart beating out of his chest he couldn't maintain this for much longer it was clear he wasn't quite yet to mastery of this manipulation.

But, with a sweep of his hand the senbon flew towards Daichi and he worked hard to maintain those little polyps upon the coral base.

OWL

[yamaguchi daichi]

I COULD EAT THE WORLD RAW

Toru's hand curled into a fist. It was brief, just a for a moment, but Daichi saw it. Toru’s fingernails grew long and sharp, his eyes crimson red and mesmerizing. A second tail sprouted from the shroud, burning redhot. It was intense, the immensity of the chakra nearly blinding to Daichi’s sensory perception, like a neon sign glaring out from the midst of pitch darkness. The tower, Kagamino no Shi, the exams—all were gone. The world was here, in this room. Daichi’s head was starting to pound, but he was laser-focused. The coral senbon were so small that he might have missed the sight of them with his naked eye, but his awareness of their latent chakra at least helped him be aware of their placement. He began weaving handseals, the same three as before, and jerked out of the way as a sweep of Toru’s hand sent the senbon flying towards him—but there were so many of them, and Daichi wasn’t fast enough. Three embedded themselves in his right bicep, exposed by his sleeveless tunic. Daichi resolutely refused to make a sound; he only gritted his teeth, and finished the last handseal. Once more, a translucent cube of a barrier went up around him, and he carefully held it in place. He was dripping with sweat, his vision blurring, the dull pounding in his head growing heavier, a slow metronome that kept the time of his racing heart. He kept his eyes locked on Toru. He could shatter the barrier effortlessly, yeah, but if Daichi could keep it intact even with his doujutsu slowly but steadily draining at his chakra deserves, and poison steadily working its way through his system, then it was a worthwhile effort. And if Toru kept coming at him, could shatter the barrier while still keeping the toxic polyps intact, then that was even better.

Kaguya Toru -- 310

LAIKA OF THQ