[Shouki Kumori]

One might ask themselves; how did Kumori ever get to tutor a fighting entropy like Kyōka? What wretched fate was that? Well, the answer might not surprise you – it was during a time of rising fear, suspension, mistrust and bubbling unrest leading up to one of the bloodiest incident in the country’s history… but the story began earlier than that. About… say, 15 years earlier. Let’s go back in time and revisit that… pleasant memory, shall we?

…

…

…

Kumori was not a fan of conflict, bloodshed and skirmishes-

-happening in his country, that was.

He had spent over 15 years outside of the Land of Water, killing and avoiding getting killed for the sake of his village. He had secured many of the village’s interest internationally, both with the help of allied- no, temporarily allied shinobi – and the Suiryū Butai, but people weren’t the most grateful nowadays. When he returned to the Mist, he wasn’t exactly given the most applauded hero’s praise and welcome that he expected… people had gotten weary of the Second Mizukage’s antics, instead. As if they had the right…

… But that was over 5 years ago. Kumori had moved on, and he had become a Jōnin through and through. His efforts outside of the Land of Water had even granted him a title – Kiri no Ekiki – the Demonic Plague of the Mist. The Miasma of the Mist. It was the optimal title for a functional member of the Shouki clan, really – and they weren’t that far off naming him a demonic plague… more like a demonic mist, really. One could say that it was the description of his clan’s poisonous gases.

With his new title and honed skills, the Mizukage had assigned him and other Jōnins to scout the Land of Water in its entirety. A country-wide adventure, a national road trip, many words people could describe it as, but it was a hefty duty to bear – the conflicts appearing all over the map beckoned the Mizukage to send his troops to every corner of the country, both to kill the flames of conflict and to gather intel regarding the Daimyō. Tough times foreboding, Kumori needed to gather a team…

And the last member was going to be tested today, inside of this forest of thorny woods.

Kumori had brought her here on foot. Told her to prepare for battle before they ventured towards this area away from the village Kashiwa, which was located at the very edge to the forest. Kumori was wearing his Hidden Mist uniform, coming off as just another +Chūnin from the eyes of the unaware. His black hair was tied in a single ponytail, resting down his neck all the way to the center of his back. Most notable about him were three things – the scar across his face, the crystal-white feather he carried around his left wrist like an amulet, and the sheathed ōdachi strapped to his back.

He knew a little about his next candidate, Hōzuki Getsuyū. From what he had gathered on their way here, from when they first met all the way back at the village, she was… hmh… mischievous. He could tell by the look on her face, but why that was… was left a mystery. It left things in the air, but that was nothing to be worried about – if anything, it brought him quite the promise of a peculiarly interesting Genin under his wing.

SPOILER: Click to show

Appearance & Uniform

And now, having reached deep enough into the forest so that no civilization could be sensed nearby, Kumori finally braked in his tracks and turned around to face Getsuyū. His voice was jaded, a little weary but deep and formal as well. "I take it you know how tense the situation is outside of Kirigakure... case and point, I’m going to lead a team of three, promising Genin to travel with me across the country. You’re one of them... granted you pass this test of mine,” he revealed to her, stretching his arms out to display the woods circling around them both.

"Kuro Matsubayashi. We’re going to engage in combat here, inside of these woods... you remember what the villagers told us earlier, right?” The warning that every traveler received upon reaching this forest:

Do not eat the fish. Do not follow the lanterns. Do not stay more than one week. Do not lose your company. Do not linger or the animals might find you.

He quickly picked up and wiggled a pair of bells in front of her, "You’re more than welcome to try and kill me. Although, all you really need to pass my test are these bells in your hands...” He quickly wrapped the thread of the bells on the edge of his belt and continued, "... Or simply hide somewhere and wait for a day to pass. You’re not allowed to exit the forest – I’ll personally make sure you don’t get the chance.” It was rather intense; leaving his view meant that she’d lose her company, which was such a bad omen here. And leaving the forest was prohibited, so she’d be forced to spend her time here, surrounded by warnings of danger. Thankfully, the test only lasted for 24 hours or until she got her hands on the bells, so she wouldn’t lose her mind... right?

"My friend, Hōzuki Yūchin, speaks highly of you. I’d like to be impressed, myself… go on. Take your first shot.”

WC: 904

SPOILER: Click to show

SAs possessed by Kumori in this time:

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.

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.

[Hōzuki Kyōka]

We are violence After graduating from the academy, the young Hozuki was more than eager to start her shinobi career and when she received word of her potential sensei, she was extremely excited to meet him. She was a strong student in the academy, one known for her physical strength and brutality, so she already assumed she had been assigned a worth master. She was supposed to be tested by the man deep into the forest, away from civilization, and while some would cower at that prospect, she rejoiced, for she could go all out, and if the man proved to be a weakling, the laws of nature would dictated that she had the right to just end his miserable life. A win-win situation, that's for sure. The journey there had been a rather quiet one, and she was a bit bored, but finally, the jaded voice of the man was heard, prompting her violet orbs to rest upon him. "Granted? I will pass, geezer. Don't you know who I am? Hehe." she responded with plenty of attitude, showing him her tongue and her already sharpened teeth. When asked if she remembered what they had been told, she nodded, and when he said she was welcome to try and kill him, she giggled in clear excitement. "I surely will hehehe." she assured him, for she had every intention of trying to do that. Then, once they were done with the explanation of the rules, he invited her to attack and she nodded, drawing the sharp Katana she carried on her back. Using the Hydrification Technique, something many Hozuki her age had trouble doing, her right arm's muscle swollen considerably, and so did the muscles on her calfs. Using that to dash at a speed above what's expected of a normal Genin, she would aim to cut his eye balls with a swift strike. "Drop dead! Hahahaha!" the thrill of battle was addicting, and she was already eager to bath in the blood of that man. and this is hell Shouki Kumori 349 words Flashback

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[Shouki Kumori]

Ahh, and he thought he wouldn’t stumble upon a reckless one anytime soon.

Such elevated confidence spouting out of the mouth of this newly-baked Genin intrigued him. If she really was the big shot she saw herself as, then Kumori would likely have to feel sweat again. There were a few key notes on her, given by what he knew about her heritage; the Hydrification Technique, a classic that he was all too familiar with (thanks to Yūchin’s antics), and the report from the Academy. In the end, Kumori would bear witness to some of the praise she engulfed herself in – she stood out from the rest of the previous Academy Students in both skill and attitude… both leaning towards wicked.

But it was nothing special. Wicked people came and went in the Land of Water, and many Academy Students had given off that heavy first impression of foreboding menace in the past. Hell, Kumori himself wasn’t exactly a teacher’s pet or anything… what would really put Getsuyū apart from the rest would show itself today.

And it seemed like she prioritized killing him. Great. Just wonderful – he, specifically, just happened to hold that one, huge handicap of his blood being quite lethal to organisms. Hopefully, her Hydrification Technique would be able to dilute the poisons the same way Yūchin protected himself from it in the past… but Kumori would have to test that first. Was he willing to risk murdering his own student for the sake of a theory, though?

…

Her katana was drawn. Her Hydrification Technique was cast, and her right arm swelled its muscles up to a terrifying degree. Just like that retarded fishfinger… she really was a spitting image of the Hōzuki’s legacy.

Kumori had no intentions of taking her lightly with all those factors taken into consideration. While she had increased her calfs’ sizes for extra oomph to her dash, Kumori had grabbed the handle to his own blade. With blinding speed, he ducked under the trajectory and avoided having his eyes sliced open... cruel, but an efficient strategy. A blind opponent lost 70% of their strength, after all, and it was her very first act.

She packed a huge punch, too... slash, yes, but brute strength wasn’t something he couldn’t draw circles around. This was going to be entertaining, but... she would have to be more devious than that in order to gain an up on him.

"Smart move, Getsuyū,” he spoke, grinning and drawing out his ōdachi, "But wield that sword with more precision!” With that said, he spun around and aimed the flatter edge of his ōdachi toward her right, upper bicep. He simply aimed to launch her meters away from him, maybe into the thorns if need be – he could patch up any minor wounds she’d suffer from, if her Hydrification Technique would malfunction.

WC: 474

[Hōzuki Kyōka]

We are violence That geezer was way more nimble and fast than he looked, and she grit her teeth in frustration as he managed to avoid her slash. It would be awesome if she could cut off his eyes, she was so ready to call him "Zatoichi", but alas, not everything goes according to plan, and she was well-aware of that. Still, her attack left her open to a counter, and while she was dilligent in the training of her Hydrification Technique, she was still a genin, and shifting between solid and liquid still took a moment, so she was ultimately hit by the falt edge of his odachi, which sent her flying towards the throns. "Asshole!" she cursed as she used her strong arm to stab the blade on the ground and stop her in her tracks before hitting the throns, and using the empowered calfs, she launched herself towards him again, not wanting to lose the momentum and keep up the heat. The man was still going easy on her, and if she could distract him long enough with a sensitive target, maybe she could sneak around and grab the dumb bell. Moving the swords, she came with a vertical slash moving upwads, aiming right at his ballsack. "If you don't have the balls to fight me properly, I will relieve you from that burden!" at the same time, she used the Hydrification Technique to stretch her other hand and try to grab the bell, hoping the man was too distracted with his genitals being targeted to notice it. She could be sneaky and treacherous when she wanted to. and this is hell Shouki Kumori 284 words Flashback

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[Shouki Kumori]

Aww, what now? He just sent her flying away from him, nothing to be mad about- what?!

That angle… it took him a split second, but if she continued on with that advance towards him, then her blade would slice straight up and divide his sack of crown jewels. Mayday! Mayday!

With his blade already unsheathed, there was only a few options to take in order to keep his ability to procreate- also, let us just talk about that for a second – what the hell, Getsuyū? It certainly painted her as opportunistic, but none of his previous students had tried to neuter him in the middle of a duel. Maybe she was insane too.

"Oh no, you don’t-!” he warned her before leaning his sword down and grabbing the metal blade with his other hand in an attempt to block the upcoming slash. Damn, was she a hard hitter… no matter.

The momentum and impact of her blade met his, and he used it to lift his body slightly upwards. Before her stretchy water arm could grab the bells, he committed a somersault from the sword impact, sending his heel straight towards the center of her head. Hopefully, she was taking notes on how he planned to turn her strength against her, for she could use it in the future.

WC: 220

[Hōzuki Kyōka]

We are violence "What, old man?! As if you even need those! Hahaha!" she retorted, showing a wicked smile she had still not learned to hide on her day to day life. Still, the old geezer managed to block the attack, even though she was using all of her strength. Kyouka scoffed, showing frustration, while trying to keep his focus on her and not on her stretching hand, but he caught on to that as well and somersaulted to create some more distance in between them. Still, this time his counter was something she was half-expecting and when the heel came towards her head, she liquified her face so that the feet would phase throught the water. It still grazed her chin as she almost missed the timing, it was still a work in progress, but she avoided most of the damage, and sought to continue pressuring the man. "You are fast, I will give you that! Maybe you are not so worthless after all! But I'm not nearly done!" she roared as she leaped up high into the air and came down with a vertical cut, aiming to hit the man right on the head. and this is hell Shouki Kumori 210 words Flashback

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[Shouki Kumori]

What was going on in her head? Kumori knew very well what wordplay she was using – haha, no balls, scaredy-cat – but it came out of nowhere… did she really have such low expectations of him? Did she even know anything about him?

He vowed deep inside – for the sake of their cooperation in the future, he’d make her put some respect on his damn name. Little, shark-teethed brat was talking shit, and she’d learn to talk sweeter… but she was good at close combat. She even anticipated his heel kick, turning her head into a body of water to cushion the impact.

Once his foot splashed all the way through, she jumped up high and swung her blade straight down towards his head. She had switched from his balls to his… ball… but if Kumori was able to get hit by such an attack, he’d have been killed long, long ago.

The problem of aiming for his head at that angle was that he had little space to move across in order to side-step and turn his torso to watch the blade pass by his face and body by mere inches. He did have to move from a crouched position upon landing from his previous somersault, but this time, Getsuyū wasn’t really aiming for anything absurd. Headshots were insta-kills, after all… so he knew to protect his dome.

Instead of sending a kick towards her, he merely awaited her next move… almost as if he was attempting to mock her efforts. Try and go for his balls one more time, and he might start trying. "Maybe Ninjutsu will do you better favors."

WC: 272

[Hōzuki Kyōka]

We are violence The man was quite agile and avoided her attack once again. Upon landing back on the ground she scoffed and finally put her blade away, back on the scabbard she kept attached to her back. "Fair... Seems like I can't to you with my blade... Well, guess I will have to rely on my main specialty then. Good for you, geezer. You are stronger than you look. Maybe you can be useful to me, after all." she admitted, with a large, conceited smile on her face. But she wasn't bluffing. Even though she was very good with the blade, her main specialty was Water Release Ninjutsu, and he would now get a taste of that. Pointing her hand at the man in the shape of a "gun", she winked at the old man. "Mizudeppo no Jutsu!" she exclaimed as she fired a high-pressure water bullet from her finger. Even for a Hozuki, her attack was considered more powerful and faster than it normally would be. And she wouldn't settle for just one shot. Using her free hand, she grabbed one of her water bottles to refill her water supply and kept on firing a real barrage of water bullets at the man, seeking to overwhelm him. She was aiming at more fragile spots, like knee caps, solar plexus, and the neck, wanting to see how the man would choose to react against her attack. Hidden among her attacks were the bullets aimed at his bells. If she could hit it and remove it from his belt, it was her win. and this is hell Shouki Kumori 277 words Flashback

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[Shouki Kumori]

Huh, ambitious much? Maybe this girl had what it took to become Mizukage, someday… it only encouraged this ‘geezer’ to take her more seriously. There was a long, stony road to becoming the ninja leader of their village, but she definitely held herself in high regard and almost treated herself like royalty… it did rub off on him the wrong way, what, with how she severely underestimated the shinobi. Was that a genetic trait of the Hōzuki or something?

Yūchin, we need to talk later.

Kumori’s nerves skyrocketed at the sight of her hand forming a gun-like shape. A notorious Water Release Jutsu that, like many of the Hōzuki’s clanic Jutsus, didn’t require any handseals to cast. He had only a moment to launch himself to the left, lunging his body over and landing on one of his hands in order to evade the first water shot. He heard a loud, cracking bash behind him which revealed the surprisingly heavy force behind just that first shot, rather unusual of those who performed this Jutsu. She must’ve had a strong affinity for Water Release in order to shoot it this fast at her age.

With his hand, he pushed himself up in the air and evaded some other bullets, but while in the air, he wasn’t agile enough to just dodge the next ones. Instead, he grabbed another weapon of his strapped to his back – a long, metal-ornamented staff – and spun it around in front of him to clash with the incoming bullets before he landed on the ground again. At some points, she aimed lower and for his knees, so he pushed the staff diagonally into the ground in order to propel himself up and away from the bullets, purely being on the evasive for the moment.

But if he kept on like this, then the bells would ultimately fall off. He could use the Water Mirror Technique, but Getsuyū was relentless, and he needed more space to perform all 20 handseals. Instead, he immediately moved further away from her and dove into the bushy terrain, disappearing out of sight in a moment before a huge splash could be heard on the other side.

Should Getsuyū charge after him, she would not find him at the edge to the small river where the splash was likely to have come from. However, glowing eyes lured at her on the other side of the river – those eyes came from woodland beasts that did not consent to any shinobi’s presence in these woods and were itching for retaliation paired with easy access to ripe, young human flesh. A pack of wolves in black fur, their pelts hardened to ward off the prickling thorns as they pushed through and attempted to cross the river due to the splash sound heard earlier, not waiting to attack any who showed up.

WC: 475

[Hōzuki Kyōka]

We are violence The old man could dodge, and of that fact she was unfortunately quite aware by now, hence why she kept on firing off the blasts, while also drinking some water from one of her bottles, in order to rehydrate herself. Still, at one point, he found himself in a position where his only option was to block the attacks, and that was a victory of sorts for her, which prompted the woman to widen her smirk. The feeling of victory increased when the man decided to retreat into the bushes, prompting the young girl to follow him, drawing on her blade once again. "Come back here with my bells!" she exclaimed with a rather excited tone followed by mischievous giggles as she gave chase to the man, but instead of finding the old man, she saw a pack of angry wolves. "Oh? Food?" she said with a dismissive tone, as she pointed the blade to the beasts on the other side of the river. "Wanna try me, itchy dogs?!" she said to the beasts, trying to anger them and forced them to give chase, so she could just slaughter them; if she wouldn't be taking the blood from the old man, they would do. and this is hell Shouki Kumori 221 words Flashback

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[Shouki Kumori]

The wolves were hungry too. Unknowing of this young girl’s skills, they crossed the running river – only some of them, though. The others leapt upon rocks sticking out of the river for foothold, reaching her much quicker than those swimming across. Their fangs were flashed towards her, and they lifted their paws in an attempt to push her to the ground for a quick bite to the neck. An easy kill, an easy meal… that was the work of many predators.

In the meantime, Kumori… yes, Kumori stuck his face up from the running river surface, glaring over towards the scene where the wolves had confronted Getsuyū. Getting accustomed to toxins would be a valuable experience, but my clan’s got no serum or antidote for our own poisons. Only our mutagens…

The wolves would be no big deal for her. After Getsuyū would undoubtedly take them out in a bloody fashion, Kumori would rise from the river bed and release a single, flickering shuriken. Kumori’s shuriken arsenal was small, but for a good reason. It would appear that the one shuriken divided into two, then four, then eight, and then sixteen. It was a simple but efficient Ninjutsu, the Weapon Clone Jutsu. Getsuyū would have to be fast and reflexive in order to escape the onslaught.

WC: 216

[Hōzuki Kyōka]

We are violence As the first wolf came towards her, she would let them think they would be biting flesh, but their fangs went through water. As the wolf looked confused and spooked by the water, the Hozuki chopped off its head with a clean cut. Then, spinning her body, she would slash another one in half, and then she continued to mutilate them in a very brutal way, all while giggling and singing. She had absolutely no problem in killing, as a matter of fact, she seemed to enjoy it. "If you are happy and you know it kill a pup! If you are happy and you know it kill a pup!! Hihihihi!" her tone was almost innocent if she was not now covered in the blood of her victims. But her joy was short-lived as the old man showed up again throwing a single shuriken at her. "Seriously? One?!" she would look at him, unimpressed. However, as they started to multiply, she frowned his brows and assumed a defensive stance. When they got close to her, she deflected a few with her blade, let some others phase through her with her Hijutsu, but she was still hit by two of them, one on her lower stomach, and another one in her thigh. She grit her teeth and growled at the old man. "Is that all you fucking got?! I will skin your ass!" she barked as she started running towards him, waiving a set of hand seals and preparing a technique. and this is hell Shouki Kumori 267 words Flashback

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[Shouki Kumori]

Another thing to report about… she took a lot of pleasure in killing. With that innocent voice of hers, and the tone of her song, one wouldn’t guess that she was fresh off multiple hound murders. Still, while any paragon of morals would cringe at the very sight, her liking to murder was no fucking issue. The Mist demanded killers be born, so what if she belonged?

It only meant that the Mist had the makings of a great shinobi in her potential. She was a valuable asset, and one that Kumori would not be a half-ass to nurture.

Alas, she was a cut above the rest and even made a similarly aged Yūchin from back in the days have a run for his money. It meant that he’d have to get more serious if he demanded any semblance of respect from this ghastly brat. "Live by what you say, Getsuyū,” was his final warning to her before he simply leaned back and let himself fall into the shallow river water, completely disappearing by the time the droplets and ripples began dispersing from the surface.

"And do your worst!”

One, two, three, four, five – all at once, six Kumoris leapt from the surface of the water, unseen by any who’d use their sense of sight alone to try and spot where a living human being should be seen through the river. A combination of the Hiding In Water Technique and the Shadow Clone Technique, Kumori made use of another certain trait of his – his constant strive to burn away at his reserves of chakra, which were growing by the day. Simply another result of his survivor and veteran status.

All six of him were aiming down at Getsuyū with the long and sharp ends of their unsheathed ōdachis. The element of surprise and the strength of numbers would hopefully teach her a lesson or two… but still, something told Kumori that he was the one who had to learn something. And yet, nothing short of a killer’s intent would get through this kid’s skull and make her understand exactly who Kumori was.

[Hōzuki Kyōka]

We are violence "And once I kill ya, you won't be using that fucking name anymore, old man!" she barked, showing how much she disliked her given name. The young Hozuki was indeed an odd creature, and a rather cruel one, but for the Hidden Mist Village, people like herself were an asset. A natural born killer, with no remorse or emotions to hold her back, and a thirst for blood that was almost unpaired. But before she could hit the old man with her attack, he vanished in the water, prompting her to pause, and start looking around, scoffing as she did so. "Now, now... Running and hiding like a little bitch?! I was right... You don't need your balls!" she scoffed, cracking an evil smirk on her face. Suddenly, five copies of Kumori showed up from the water surface. And all of them came towards the Genin at the same time, hitting her right on the chest and back with their blades, and while she seemed shocked by that, her body exploded in water, showing that she had previously prepared and used a Substitution Technique, thus escaping from Kumori's dangerous assault. Then, the real one would come crashing from above, her blade ready to pierce through the heads of one of the Kumoris who were there. She didn't know which one was the real one, which meant she would have to kill every single one of them. "Hahahaha! Die!!!" she exclaimed in total bliss. and this is hell Shouki Kumori 260 words Flashback

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