ninjutsu training - - - - The fight of his Life...

He could feel in the water...he could feel it in the air. There was something that just was not right. It was in the pit of his stomach there was a feeling within him that just kept coming back to him. And then there were the dreams that he started having recently. The dream was always incomplete of course but what he did know and that is what it was flashbacks of when he was experimented on. He could see a view as if he were inside a tank made of glass. In this tank a liquid of a blue hue surrounded him and a breathing apparatus was in his mouth. He could taste the rubber of the mouth piece. He could see the bubbles rising from it and briefly distorting his vision. Just beyond the confines of the glass tank, was an entire wall crammed with books. He could not tell what the books were about of course. He would also remember a woman, with blonde hair looking sad with blonde hair and blue eyes that was naked, and as he looked down at himself, he realized that he too was naked. He again looked at her and there was also a tube coming out of her anus and as sure as the sun rose at dawn, he too had one connected to his own. His gaze shifted to the front of him at the sound of something tapping on the glass. As he looked, there was a man standing there in a lab coat smiling at him through all the water and bubbles.

"Good day...E-91. I know you can hear me." he said tapping on the glass again, smiling. "Oh you don't like that don't you? Well there really isn't anything you can do about it you disgusting experiment. I wish I could spit on you right now." he said as he continued tapping the glass.

There was a panel in front of the tank. The man pushed a button and electricity surged through the tank of liquid electrocuting Bankai. His body of course stiffened under the shock and eventually the man stopped pressing the button and that was when Bankai would wake up with his body. sheets, clothing and pillow soaked in sweat and out of breath. He sat there upright in his four poster bed and his head was throbbing from the stress. At this point, it disturbed him to the point where he could not tell totally if the sheets that were under him were real or not. The ability to not be able to differentiate between a dream and a reality unsettled him. A person like him should not be having these problems. After all, he was of the Misaki clan, one of the most auspicious and wealthiest families in Hanagakure. But the suffering he was under currently had nothing to so with prestige or finances. It was a wound to the mind and to function properly he had to start working on this.

502 words

He got up from his bed and as he did so there was a knock on the door and he told the person to come in. When the door swung open, in came two servants, a man and a woman. The man was dressed in a white long sleeved shirt and the woman wore a simple flannel grey dress with a white apron. Both were middle aged and Bankai wanted to know who they were since he never saw them before.

"Good day Bankai sama. We were told to tend to you this morning." said the man as he bowed slightly.

"I see. Did my father hire you?" asked Bankai.

"Yes sir. We were appointed today." smiled the woman as she folded her arms across her apron.

"What are your names? How long have you worked for my family?"

"Twenty years my lord." replied the woman.

"Twenty years...that is older than I am. And yet..." he paused looking out the window. "...I do not even know your names."

"It is ok my lord. I am Yuki and this is Hazimoto." said the woman gesturing to herself and then the man of course. "What do you need sir?"

"Hmph. Well I had a bad dream and the sheets and well...everything else is a bit soggy."

"Right away sir."

They helped him change his clothes into a robe with the family's crest on his back and on his lapel. It was black and gold in color and very loose fitting. He was devoid of any weapons while he was within his clan's compound. He knew that here was a sanctuary, a totally safe place, especially as his father was still around even though he of himself was no longer head of the clan. He decided that he would go and see his father and ask his advice on the dreams he had been having recently.

The trees, the cherry blossoms were scattered all throughout the Misaki encampment giving shade and beauty to all who chose to take in and enjoy its beauty. His father's quarters were not too far from his own. He walked a little brisk knowing his father was a busy man and would not be able to stay the entire morning on this. He knocked on his father's door and a servant came to him and opened the door and allowed him inside.

"Would you please tell my father than his son is here to see him please?"

The servant nodded and disappeared around the bend to the corridor. Bankai came here many times before but each time was still inspiring to see. The large hallway had pictures of previous heads of the family together with their families. Each of them did whatever was needed to see the prosperity of the family and that of the city. So much prestige and wealth in the city and Bankai knew even more than before that he must uphold his family's name. Soon enough a tall blonde middle aged man came dressed in the same robes as he was. He came down the stair case and his eye color was different to that of Bankai's. Bankai had his mothers eyes and his fathers strong jaw.

535 words

"Bankai...I am glad that you are here my son." began his father as he walked up to his son and they hugged each other. "Where have you been? Being a full time soldier no doubt is very taxing on you is it not?"

"Yes father it is. Alot if missions I go on are very life threatening. You never know when you can loose your life." said Bankai.

"Indeed. But I have trained you well in the arts you need to be a fine soldier. I have taught you the skills you needed in all aspects of life my son because I love you. You are my son after all and the one true leader of the Misaki clan. And I am truly proud of you. I said I would tell you this because we are both busy and we will not get to talk like this in a hurry."

"I understand father. I came to ask some advice about some dreams I have been having."

"Oh? Tell me." said the father when he motioned his son to the couch that was in the massive hallway. Bankai took his seat along with his father and started to tell him of the details of the dream. When he was done, his father sat there with a concerned face with his hand on his chin thoughtfully. "Hmmm. The dream does not sound intricate. If we read it as it is, it could be your mind sending resurfaced memories of your abduction. If this is the case I will speak to the Commander General and request him some time off for you to do this. If your mind is trying to show you the things that they have suppressed then now is the time to meditate on it. Sancho!" called his father as a short stout man came into the room. He was dressed in a black pants and white shirt just like Bankai's servant.

"This is Sancho. He may not look it right now but he is the family's monk and he will be guiding your mind through this. You will obey him as if it were me you were speaking to, do you understand this my son? And you Sancho are to speak to my son with respect but do not be afraid to speak firmly to him." said Bankai's father.

With that Bankai got up and followed Sancho to another part of the Misaki encampment. The large concrete walls and the high roofs just made the place itself look so regal and important. Bankai had always liked to run through these streets as a kid and pretend he was a soldier slaying a dragon. He would not have a wooden sword like the others, he would have an invisible sword and would pretend that it would grow and hit everyone that he chose. The more he thought about it, he was always a free spirit but he was more arrogant and immature when he was a child. He would always think of things other his own age would not think of. And when he was in the academy it was no different. And it was this personality trait that set him above others.

ooc: 534 words

They entered this building and Bankai could clearly see that it was different from the others. It was much larger than the others and shaped differently too with a large dome at the top of the building and four massive pillars at its corners and totally black and gold in color. Inside however was just a large empty chamber with nothing but a large stone tile floor. The room had no light and when Bankai raised his hand to summon light Sancho stopped him by grabbing his arm.

"Do not use chakra in here unless I tell you too. Using of chakra when the time is not right will cause different things to happen in here that should not happen." said sancho as Bankai lowered his hand.

Bankai followed Sancho up some stairs to an equally large room and others were there sitting with their attendants placing their hands on their heads and the ones that were sitting had their eyes closed. Sancho told Bankai to sit on a certain mat on the floor and close his eyes which he did. Sancho then placed his hands on his forehead.

"Bankai...you are about to enter another realm and in it, you can die so do not do things without caution . In there you are not allowed to use chakra until I tell you to. If you do then you can die. Do you understand the gravity of the situation here sir?"

" I understand Sancho. What do I plan on seeing in this place?"

"I am not sure. All I know is that what you do see is not just mere imagination but rather it is memories that you have that you will be able to relive and have a relative amount of control over them as in where you see in your memories. You however will be fine unless you use chakra when you are not supposed to. You will see certain things that you or the people you love go through and want to help them...do not do so. I will be your guide and I will be able to speak to you while in this world."

With that Bankai slipped into a deep sleep and there were several flashes of light of different colors and when he opened his eyes he was in another place, in a forest of some kind which strangely enough seems really familiar to him.

"Come on Bankai! We gotta go!" said a young boy around ten years old or so with blonde hair. When Bankai looked down at himself, he saw he was wearing the clothes he would wear as a genin and if this was so, this boy was his friend Gratiz since people used to call them brothers since they looked alike to each other.

"Whats up?" asked Bankai.

"Sensei is gonna have our head Bankai. Saki is already there with him and we're already late!" he said

And with that, Bankai followed Gratiiz through the trees and past the river and the monuments and kept behind some trees to hide from their sensei as they looked at what he and Saki were doing.

ooc: 524 words

Saki was the only female member of the team and Bankai and Gratiz could see that they were both standing there no doubt waiting on them both and the two boys ran out from the woods into the clearing to meet his comrades. His sensei was a tall woman with straight black hair and who came from one of the main families in Hanagakure. Her name was Akira and it was only Bankai that knew her background. She did not want any special treatment due to what her background was. Bankai rememberd this; it was so strange that the longer he stayed in this dream state the more he could remember.

[see what is happening? you are already starting to remember. keep opening your mind and take it all in Bankai. you have to.]

Bankai knew this was his last mission before his capture. He however did not remember how it happened or when it was going to happen. All he knew was, they were all going to be dead at the end of it all. He saw the mistake in his sensei's Judgment because she seperated them all because there were too many of the enemy numbers and for the mission to be complete within the aloted time then they must do certain segments of the mission themselves. Bankai was to be sent to take out one of the targets whose specialty was swords and Bankai honestly could not wait to find that man and fight him.

He came to the place where the man was rumoured to be. Bankai was on a sort of tour of the village. He entered the massive arched ways of the coliseum and began walking among its shadowed corridors. He heard of this place before; where blood was spilled and it gave fuel to the roar of the crowd that had been gathered. It was as if he could hear the clash of steel and the grunts of exertion during combat and it thrilled him. Bankai continued onward through the maze like corridors and eventually he exited the building itself and stepped out into the moonlight and walked upon a sand and knew he arrived at the core of the coliseum.

Hmph, the lives that were slain here...it is a if I can feel the energy of this place.

The forest held many things dark and dangerous things, things that one who were not expecting could die from. From within the darker parts of the forest, the leaves crunched underfoot and a figure came into view. The white mask would break away from the darker backdrop, the red swirls over the bottom half were noteworthy as well.

The figure would come further into the moonlight and its ray would shine over the massive weapon on its back. The katana at the side would glimmer from its elegant design. The figure moved forward, slowly emerging fully into the nightlight. The figure had noticed someone else in the area and figured that finding them would be a nice change of pace for the night.

There was something about the night's air that he could not place a finger on. There was an extra chill around. As he looked up into the sky, the way the clouds moved over the moon made it look even more eerie than usual. It was at this point that he wondered 'why was he here?' Curiosity perhaps? Maybe it was instinct that told him to come here? Was it that raw and unbridled instinct of a hunter that all men who had seen battle lived within in them? Or was it plain and straight...destiny? The feeling he got was not common at all, and it disturbed him somewhat. He just had a creepy feeling that something was lurking in the shadows along the corridors of the coliseum.

The masked man let himself come to a slow but steady stop. To wander was something he wasn't trying to do at that moment and so he would simply eliminate all of the problems. The figure would crouch down and simply push a few leaves out of the way to clear a small spot to which he would place a single finger onto the now exsposed ground and a faint whisper would come from him. "Kotsuniku." And suddenly, for him, everything would fade to an instant black before a few things would become clear.

There were several animals in the vicinity, a few birds perched on tree limbs but with just a slight bit of movement, they disappeared from sight. But the man was able to get a focus on a single other figure that took the shape of a man. All these figures had no definable features as they only appeared to be dark red in color and nothing else. The figure would raise from the crouched position, the figures disappearing and color and objects returning to the world. The figure would move passed the pillars and into the same establishment the other man was in.

The figure did not hide himself as normal, this tended to give him a negative light when he showed himself or was found. He would come to a stop under the same light as the other in silence, the mask seemingly looking directly at him.

Bankai bent down and took up a bit of sand in his hand and felt it coarseness. It was indeed coarse. Sand as he knew was a material that allowed liquids to soak through it. Liquids like blood for instance, even though may leave a stain, it would take large amounts of it to actually pool on a surface like this. He dusted off his palms and continued taking a look around. On the walls on this arena in which he now stood, were intricate carvings in the stone. Some of the figures that were carved here had at one time stood tall and proud as they either awaited their next victim or did not cower in fear of their opponent. Other carvings could be seen as blatant men of fame and importance as they held the heads of their victims in triumph over them. Kages past was seen presiding over these affairs no doubt to keep some from thinking they were just too powerful to be forced to do battle just for the amusement of others.

There is a lot of history here. A lot of blood sweat and tears were given to this place amongst screams. Hmph. Father never showed me here.

The masked man would continue to watch the young man with growing interest. The mask would turn to watch him crouch down to take the sand in hand, letting it slide from his grip. That look of contemplation and realization. The masked figure would take a few steps out, his cloak shifting ever so slightly in the movement. "It is a marvel of human ingenuity and indulgence. Truly magnificent." The figure would let himself come to a stop a few yards from the other young man, not wanted to make any unwanted gestures that would be considered offensive but at the same time, in the place they were at, would it be all to uncommon?

Bankai turned a little faster than he meant to. He was genuinely startled since he did not expect anyone, especially this time of night to be in a place like this.

"Yes it is. It is just a wonder to see how far man's genius can go." said Bankai with little emotion as he smiled at this masked person. "But on the negative side, it also serves as a reminder of mankind's thirst for blood." and Bankai's whole persona changed to one of sadness.

If only the wicked was slain here it would have been ideal. However he knew that the dishonest nature of humanity had also lead to the sentencing of the innocent. Fathers who were killed for their lands, or my wealthy merchants that wanted these doomed men wives for themselves. The list goes on and on. The masked man would watch as he was acknowledged by his words and surprisingly, the words were elaborated on. What was the most surprising of this was the usual first question that came by was that of who he was but this was an almost refreshing change of pace. The masked man would turn his attention elsewhere around the arena till he came full circle and back to the young man and would reply to his words.

"But a thirst for blood isn't always as bad as they say. To fight for one's life shows what is truly important and what is truly worth fighting for. To have a victory here, no matter what the odds may be, would be one that could carry you through the ages and in death, your true life is revealed, regardless of if you wanted it or not." The mask would tilt itself slightly to the side as the figure would come to rest its forearms on the handle of the blade at his hip.

Bankai knowingly nodded in agreement of the masked man's words. He never looked at it in that way before.

"The occasional shedding of blood for the etching of my name in the books of history. I have never met any one thinking along those lines." he said thoughtfully. "My name is Bankai, and I have never met anyone as curious as you." he said as his eyes came to rest on the weapon at the side of the man's body. "I can tell that you have some affiliation with the sword. Tell me, how adept are at it?"

It was one of Bankai's ambitions to learn the Will of Sword from a true master. With swordsmanship on his side it will become one of the main means of attack and defense in his arsenal. He too wanted to see if 'a thirst for blood isn't always as bad as they say'.

It was refreshing still to see that the usual debate that went on between himself and new acquaintances. When the young man gave his name to be Gin, the masked individual would do him a similar service. He would bow his head in the direction of Gin and reply in kind "For now, you can call me mister Mask. It should suffice for the time being." He would then look down to the sword at his side that was mentioned.

A hand would take hold of the scabbard and slowly draw it from the sash and raise it up to eye level for them both to see completely. "I hold two swords that are valued beyond measure, each I took with my own two hands and I have honed my art as a swordsmen against any and all that would claim themselves to be as such. My goal is to acquire all Seven Swords or the Sages." He would then raise his hand back over his shoulder and take hold of the handle on one of the swords that rested on his back and bring it over so that it towered above him.

"Kubikiribōchō is one of those swords. Now tell me, what are your ideals when it comes to blades-men ship?"

Bankai watched at his movements just for looking sake. He listened to the man's words carefully and thought on it but he did not have to think much. Because as much as Bankai sometimes tried to deny it, knew that his own bloodline abilities, although would be formidable, would not be near sufficient for him to attain true heights in the world.

"The Will of Sword. Hmph. It used to be a story I began writing as a child. It was about this young man who was blessed by the power of the God's themselves to wield a very powerful sword. Its name was the Dragon Heart sword. Its abilities were unparalleled to others of its age and it helped his Kingdom win wars and created an Empire. But the power of the sword consumed him and he became a tyrant until a hero came and toppled his tyranny. My point is, I wish to change this world in that way." said Bankai  as he paused to allow what he said to sink in. "Swordsmanship, if I were given a chance to hone suck skill will be more than just a mere step towards my goals." said Bankai as he looked up at the night sky as a ritualistic wind swept across the sand as if signalling the pureness of his ambition. "Swordsmanship will be the backbone, the tool with which I will become strong...Mister Mask." smiled Bankai genuinely.

Behind the mask, the face of the man was ever watching, looking for any hint that would show lies, show any sort of misgivings about the subject. He would slowly let the large weapon come down, its tip just touching the ground, his jutsu still active and he used it now to see if the young man was telling the truth or not but each and every word seemed to ring truth. This was interesting, it was not very often that one with the will of the blade come to be found. He listened to the story and was actually interested in the blade that he spoke of though there was no real way of figuring out if the blade was real or fiction.

"That is a more than admirable goal and one that I can't help but find myself interested in. Here..." He would flip the katana into his hand and then toss it through the air in the direction of the young man, it still in its scabbard so no hands were lost in the transaction. "I want to see what you are capable of with the use of that blade. We are in an arena so it should do well enough." He would remove the other large sword from his back and stab it into the ground, its jagged edges and sharp points were noticeable but it would not take the spotlight tonight.

The masked man would then move both his hands onto the handle of the Kubikiribōchō and would aim its blade in the direction of Bankai "Only through the clashing of blades will we see if what you say is true."

Bankai's eyes narrowed in focus as he looked at the sheathed sword that came at him and easily caught it. He had experience with normal swords so he would not be defenseless but wanting to defeat this man was both wishful thinking and it was not a desire of Bankai to do so even if he could. From the looks of things, this man was going to either be his executioner or some twisted teacher.  It was good to see that this Mister Mask, or double M as Bankai now coined the nick name for him was indeed observant.  Double M had noticed that Bankai did not have a sword of his own regrettably. He wondered if this sword had any special capabilities but even if, even a fool could tell that double M was not one to be trifled with and would be wise to make the right choice by just hearing him out and going along with this. It was clear to Bankai by double M's gesture and even further fortified by his words that Bankai must now defend himself against an opponent that now that he noticed it was sending an eerie vibe from him. All Bankai could do was do his best and survive.

"Alright then. Then I will show you what I know, double M." said Bankai as he tucked the sword in his waist band and drew it slowly from its sheath. He took a basic stance; one with the sword held with two hands straight in front of him at waist height.

The sword was caught with little effort which was good, heaven knows what would have happened if Bankai had not. Their acquaintanceship would have ended abruptly and violently but this was still as good a start as any. The masked man did not need to be have this be an all out battle but he did not need to see Bankai as any less of a threat or it would diminish them both. The mask would watch as the scabbard would be put onto his side and then drawn.

It was then spoke that he was ready double M. That...wasn't that bad of a little name now that he thought about it. He would put the thought on the backburner as he would aim to start things off simple and progress from there. The masked man would throw himself forward, bringing his sword over his shoulder and just as he reached range, would bring himself to a solid stop, letting the massive blade catapult over his shoulder in a straightforward attempt to cut Bankai straight in two.

2,846 words

Bankai took note of his height, the length of his arm. Getting even one god hit from his opponent would either kill him or he would be forever maimed. Bankai knew that a blatant head on attack could lead to his death so certain attacks he had in mind when fighting a far stronger opponent. He stood his ground earlier to decipher his opponent's attack power and it was overwhelming to say the least. These little pieces of information he had already gathered a normal person may take for granted by not Bankai. He knew details could be the difference between life and death. With that sentiment, Bankai thought maybe he would see if he had any chance at all of landing a single blow if he chose to attack this time And so, Bankai placed the blade of the sword horizontally to his waist with his both arms holding the sword with the hilt resting on his waist band. He dashed thunderously towards his opponent and gave a simple upward slash. The masked man would hold tightly and firmly onto the handle of the massive blade. He would make sure not to underestimate Bankai, it would be foolhardy to take any swordsmen for granted. He had hoped that this would prove to be interesting to say the least, that a shine of potential would radiate through for him to see. When Bankai made his move, it was quick and full of drive, a drive that continued with a spark.

As he closed the gap quick, the masked man would bring his sword in front of him, but instead of blocking, he would take the offense. "Shiden." With the faint words, the man would release the grip on the sword with one hand and aim to thrust it to the side of Bankai, just enough that so long as he did not move in the line of fire, he would be able to avoid the blow but it would only leave the opposing and unseen force that would come.

The free arm would rush forward along with the sword thrust, the out reached arm would aim to slam itself square into Bankai. His blade would surely come into contact with the masked man but that would be something that he could deal with when the time came. Bankai was startled at the suddenness of the attack, the sheer ferocity of it and right then and there, thank all that is holy that the mind can act quickly. The blade was already at his side no doubt in an attempt to cleave him in half. He only had time to save his life and it was disappointing because so far, it was all he could do. An equally sudden wind erupted in front of him pushing him harmlessly far from double M's reach. he hoped the momentum would at least give him a few valuable seconds to formulate a strategy. As he skidded to a stop he drew a single kunai and again awaited his opponent's next move. He was learning that sword jutsu were as useful as they were feared. If he did not think carefully, he saw no real reason that double M would not kill him. The raw power that the masked man had put forth in both his stabbing motion and the clothesline-like motion were immense. But to his great surprise, Bankai was able to use his own wits to out maneuver the attack with a well placed explosion. The masked individual would watch as his arm would swing and take out nothing but air in front of him with devastating effect, forcing what smoke and dust that was created to be forced off in the direction of the swing. The mask would look at the spot where Bankai once was and then up to where he was.

"Interesting. I must commend you on your evasion, I thought for sure you would have fallen victim to the assault. For that, I am impressed." He would then raise the sword out to then side and rush at Bankai once more, this time attacking with a horizontal slash, similar in the same fashion as his first attack, simply changing the attack angle, giving Bankai ample room to formulate a strategy but he made sure to put a little more power behind the swing this time, not wishing to leave things so simple.

[My first element was really explosion Sancho?]

[That it what it looks like. Seems to me they removed that and replaced it with light release.]

[I need to know more.]

[Then let your own dreams tell you]

As the man spoke, he took the chance to again think, but he was surprised at his words of commendation. When fighting a far stronger opponent, there was no way you can attack head on and see anything good come out of it. Gin squinted his eyes as he observed double M's movement with his sword and started to make his move as well. Gin performed a couple cart wheels to reach just outside of double M's sword reach, into the horizontal attack with his blade in his right hand, with the blade of his own sword pushing down on his opponent's blade so his legs were vertical over his opponent's head. With his left hand, he already drew a kunai riddled with his Bakuton chakra. His fast travel jutsu was still functioning and he threw the kunai and aimed for double M's shoulder. He then used the fast travel jutsu to push him away from the blast as he detonated the kunai close to double M. As fast and powerful as his opponent was, he hoped he was not a God to evade such as close range explosion as that. The swift movements and evasive nature of this person was something not to laugh at. Avoid being hit and hit when you can, and the explosions were also something special. That was the deal maker if he had ever saw one, it was always those special cases of those diamonds in the rough. He had to get this one, that much was for sure but going about doing this was easier said than done.

Once his foe was out of sight, things were no longer going to be left to chance. He wasn't sure what might be done but had was going to take the threat seriously. He was in no position to defend himself with his own blade nor would using another offensive jutsu help him in time, he was to move to the defense and activate his Tekketsu accordingly.

There was then a sudden explosion and the smoke that would erupt into the air to follow would cover the small around around the masked man's upper body. He would remain motionless, standing with his sword outreached to the side. The masked man's feet would slowly begin to move, turning around in the direction of the detonation that would surely have left him scarred, the sword would turn itself sideways and with a great swing, force the smoke to clear to reveal...

...the masked man, seemingly unharmed by the eruption that took place only inches from his body. The only real note that something had happened was the fact that the cloak he wore was now half torn, the right side from the neck all the way down to the middle rib-section was still smoldering from the ordeal. His free hand would raise up, placing itself onto the mask and then slowly running his fingers across it, seemingly to check for cracks or imperfections. "Quite the artist. I was almost certain that you would aim to separate my head from my body but not quite like that. A very well done trick, anyone else would have had to walk away with some serious problems."

Bankai smirked knowingly as he knew this opponent would have survived. He had a certain aura about him that was formidable enough to take what Bankai had to dish out. The objective that Bankai had in his thoughts were not to conquer him, after all it was not like he could have at his current level. With that thought, Bankai glanced at his sword and knew with one like it, he can achieve great things for himself and protect those around him. He suddenly dashed at double M and dropped low and slashed at his legs. The masked man would raise his sword in both of his hands with a tight grip on it. There was a slight pulsing motion coming from his arms, a seemingly faint reverberation throughout sections of his body. This was the workings of his Tekketsu in its constant effort to keep him from physical harm and with the way these things were going, bombs could be a turning point in any fight though he had never thought of it himself.

The masked man would watch as he was dashed at, this time he would spin the sword around in his hands and aim it downward. With a powerful thrust, he would force the sword into the ground and push himself upward onto the handle and with another push, throwing himself into the air to avoid the swipe. A flurry of handsigns would appear as he he would raise a hand up to push the mask upward so that his mouth could be seen visibly. "Kirigakure no Jutsu." As the words flowed from his lips, a sudden expulsion of thick mist would burst forth and below him to cover a full area around them, with the mask man landing somewhere within though not near the sword he had leaped from.

"Let's see how you handle yourself under pressure."

Bankai eyed the man before him fade from his eyes as the mist enshrouded everything around him. It was not easy to do battle in such an environment; not easy for a normal shinobi that is. Bankai knew all he had to do was think clearly. Bankai had no doubt in his mind that his opponent had an ability to see through the mist or at least detect an opponent in this mist that he had created. Because if he had not, then his opponent would not be as superior as he thought. In a matter or seconds, Bankai already formulated a plan in his head that he knew should if not work, would buy him some time for greater things. Bodies....three of them to be exact appeared along side Bankai. Their appearance were identical to their creator. At that point Bankai tossed to sword that was given to him since the clones he created were not created with replicas of the sword. And from battle experience, he knew that there was a possibility that his opponent had some way of knowing which sword was the real one. With these situations, it made no sense to take chances. Now Bankai and his three clones stood in a square formation with Bankai being the left right one. Now when and if his opponent would attack, there was a 75% chance that he will attack a clone. And if so he would get a great surprise. With that sentiment Bankai simply took out a kunai and his clones mirrored his movements and also took out kunais of their own and awaited the onslaught.

[Look sancho, i had a different array of abilities too]

With that, the man charged towards the clones knowing fully well that the fight was over for him. He never knew that he would have had so much trouble with his opponent. The clones rushed him, he tried to defend himself but it mattered little as explosion after explosion happened and his body lay motionless and Bankai stood over him.

[Time to move back to my comrades and try and find them.]

But that was not going to be so because Bankai had one more opponent that he had to face unknown to him of course and this one had a certain badness to them that Bankai even with his old explosive chakra would have a hard time to defeat them.

ooc: 2,021 words

By that time, Bankai had been spent. He spent a while fighting that masked man and it took a toll on him. He tied him up and placed a seal on him so that he could not escape and continued on to look for the others. Everywhere he looked there was no sign of any of them.

[I am not sure but I cant remember seeing them again during this mission]

[Is that so?]

[Yea. I just kept getting worn down until the others attacked me and I was captured. I cant remember who it was that attacked me next though]

Meanwhile, Vex had finally arrived in Tsukigakure. The village known as death, but more known through history as a neutral village who excelled in wealth from trade. That bit of information wasn't too impressive to Vex, nor did it bode well for her desire to find worthy foes to fight. Fighting wasn't her only purpose for visiting the village; she was more interested in finding her other Xanadu clan members and bringing them all together. Of course she wanted to fight them, but her desire transcended her violent nature.

So here she was, in the area - the neutral village. If there was someone here who wished not to be seen or taken advantage of, they had picked the right village. This place was a fairly quiet village, large and industrial but easy to navigate and avoid detection or unwanted attention. Vex would start her look by watching for worthy weapons: she would find a worthy foe, beat their ass and get any and all information about the Xanadu that she could out of them and then leave them half-dead or worse. She cracked her knuckles and walked through the gates, her white hair blowing in the wind and her pure white pupil-less eyes gazing through people as if they were just walking sacks of meat meant to be beaten and chewed apart. A smile spread across her lovely lips as she looked around, Well, at least the village looks pleasant. I'll have to change some of that of course... she reasoned, wanting to leave her mark on the village- a stain for people to remember and fear. When Bankai came upon the place he decided he would go above higher ground to get a better view and it was then he saw the woman he was really angry at her words. "You better watch yourself with how you speak miss lady." said Bankai as he sat upon one of the arches that were over the gate. His legs were hanging down as he looked at the young lady that was making her way within the village. He jumped down from where he sat and landed gracefully on his feet then straightened himself and looked at the person before him.

"Talk like that could get you in a world of trouble." Bankai knew for sure he was not going to let people talk about his village like if it was not any one's business. He was not concerned about who this person was, he just saw the need to correct her as he knew, whatever the outcome was, he would have to deal with it.

Oooooooh~ We got a real tough guy! Ahahahaha! Vex's muscles tensed slightly as she stopped her footsteps. Her crimson spirit, Wrath had also noticed the boy who seemed to be a regular badass. Wrath was a spirit of the Xanadu clan, a spirit who could only be seen or heard by those spiritually aware and those who had seen death. Hmmm, I guess I said that out loud. Oh well, this is as good a way to start out looking for tough people. Vex smiled wickedly and then returned back to a neutral expression.

No sooner had the last words left the boy's mouth, than Vex grabbed the hilt of Wrath and whipped it around. The boy's feet had barely touched the ground, when her giant rectangular blade swung sideways through the air to meet his mid-section. The blade was turned so the flat of the weapon would be used as a paddle instead of deadly force. This was a male, a male who thought he was something worth playing with- she would play with him, but she was rough. Big talk for a small guy.. she said with a little smile as her weapon swung to spank him.

A couple guards at the gate tensed up, but didn't respond; they were curious as to why one of their men was picking a fight with a strange girl carrying two giant swords. Bankai loved to fight and the fact that this person swung at him first was like a green light signaling his brain to 'GO!' and that is what he did. His adrenaline coursed through the body, fueling him all the same. In an instant, his chakra pushed outwardly in front of him as his hand reached for a kunai, lacing it with his explosive chakra, and the explosion was created in front of him, harmlessly pushed him back evading the attack while simultaneously throwing the kunai at his attacker as he aimed directly at her chest. He reason and hoped, that with her arm outstretched as how it was in mid attack, the heaviness of the blade might just slow her reaction to the oncoming kunai coming straight at her.

[this explosive chakra again! this doesnt make sense to me sancho. why would the ones who captured me would take my element and replace it with light?]

[i would not know my lord. i suppose going on and letting the vision play out itself may give you the answers youre looking for]

The violent girl had fully intended to catch him off guard, but he turned out to be quite the snake. He had somehow managed to distance himself with a small explosion to evade her paddle strike; that made her grin... just what was he? Interesting technique you got there! she replied, then suddenly tensed up as the opponent threw a kunai towards her center mass. He was shrewd, she gathered that much; but luckily for her, she was skilled enough in jutsu to nullify such small conveniences. Raiton chakra coursed through her weapon and suddenly the projectile weapon stopped in mid-air and changed directions.

The kunai stuck tight against her sword Wrath and alleviated her stress from possibly being seriously wounded. His sudden tenacity had unnerved her a bit. Okay, don't want to get too worked up.. but this guy is really starting to annoy me!

Ahahaah! Smooth move Vex! That dumb boy nearly got you there! Maybe you're losing your touch, girly! Wrath was teasing her, knowing she hated nothing more than being toyed with, especially about males- which she absolutely hated.

She respondd to Gin's retreat with a reckless advance. A sudden burst of flames ignited from her feet as she continued her leap from her original attack after having the kunai stuck tight to her sword. She sailed quickly through the air after the retreating Gin, her sword Wrath outstretched in a straight long pierce towards his center mass. Her other hand behind her back and on the handle of the giant bladed flash Chastity, ready to use it as a shield if he countered. She began to charge chakra as she assailed him, fully intended to impale the impudent boy.

[so she uses magnet release. oh great]

Bankai as always learnt from his teachers that if you did not fight as if your life depended on it every time then there would be no reason to fight. Doing your best and showing your opponent that you are truly a worthy opponent was his end goal. Bankai knew that stopping her in her tracks was all that mattered right now. So the shinobi, timing it perfectly from countless hours of training this jutsu, Gin looked at his kunai being swiftly drawn to his opponent's large weapon. A second before it struck the metal of the blade, he activated his explosive chakra that was still within his kunai and BOOM! The explosion, he hoped would engulf her and cause some damage to her body.

Vex was an intelligent girl, though often too reckless for her own good. She had saved herself from a nasty gash from a kunai by magnetizing it to Wrath's large rectangular blade; a smart move on her part as she fully intended to impale the boy who stood his ground despite her large scary weapon boring down on him, so to speak. This wasn't the case however- while she had fully intended to magnetize the kunai and then rush him with her fire skill, the boy had another plan. Her eyes were on him and his eyes were on the kunai so intently that somehow deep down, that bothered her and she knew she would regret choosing to stick his projectile weapon so close to her.

The kunai suddenly exploded without warning, the kinetic impact and all caught Vex by surprise. The vibration shook Wrath right out of her hand and she nearly dropped Chastity as well. Fortunately for her, the weapon was magnetized to the side of Wrath, so the explosion glanced off in a sideways explosion. Still, it was enough to jar her senses and cause temporary damage to her right eardrum. had the explosion been closer to her body, she probably would have suffered burns on her body and a busted eardrum. The only real damage was to her hand though; the hand holding Wrath was all red from 1st degree burns, it shook terrible from the kinetic jarring it had taken from the dubious kunai.

With Chastity still in one hand, Wrath was attached by the long black chain attached to the hilt of each weapon. Outraged, Vex grabbed Wrath with her burnt had and winced slightly, her adrenaline kicking in and nullifying all the pain except a throbbing ache. She would need medical attention, but the boy would need far greater medical attention after she was through with him. She spoke out, a little louder than she intended due to the difficulty of hearing through one ear. Bastard! You're going to pay for that! she said very convincingly that even the nearby guards watching the little match, felt a chill down their spine and they looked at each other, sure if it went on much further than a squabble than a troublesome man and a scary pretty girl with two giant swords, they would have to step in and break the fight up.

She performed a couple short and awkward handseals and stepped sideways, three clones of her appeared; two on her right and one on her left. Whichever was the real one had been lost in the clone process and Vex intended to use that as a surprise on her curious opponent who seemed to be able to use explosions without explosive tags.

The three of the four circled about her opponent as a fourth hung back a bit. Her plan was a dupe, she made one of her clones stay back just a little bit to seem more careful than the other three. This would subconsciously dictate that this was the real Vex; whether the man believed her ploy or not, was up to how well he gambled. The real Vex would rush his left side, the two fakes would rush his front and right side, all wielding her weapons and striking down towards him from many different angles, yet only one of them was real.

If he took the bait and went after the cautious clone, he would expose his back to her and she would slice it mercilessly with the bladed fan Chastity. If he didn't take the bait, she would charge her chakra for a technique and continue to swing at his mid-section and neck with her two weapons. Her other two clones, aimed their weapons at his waist and lower body.

ooc: 1997 words

Ignoring her pointless words, Banjai used the time to think clearly as he eyed the clones being created. As they stood before him, he observed them very carefully and still could not tell the difference between them. He personally hated clones and this made him very angry. A anger, as always will be vented in battle. He looked around at their positioning; three of the four encircled him while the fourth stayed back.

Maybe that one is the real one? I am not sure.


This was like a game of three card monte but this time there were no cards. Since he had no idea which clone was the real one, he thought very begrudgingly, that he must do the same as well. It was the only way he had at his disposal to know for sure which is the real opponent. He quickly made a hand seal and puffs of white smoke could be seen before him; two to be exact. The clones he created also had his features and were the same as he was. He made them stand in a triangular formation with him being the one on the front right. Each clone was laced with his explosive chakra. This should make things a little more interesting as Bankai relished the idea of this girl, just like the kunai, may not have any clue as to the nature of his clones. All Bankai knew, he was facing the one on his right and hoped by all that was good that this was the real one. As he drew a kunai from his pouch, the clones mirrored his movements and also took out a kunai and just as the original Gin did placed his special BOOM chakra in it.

Your move little girl

Vex had figured she would have the upper-hand now. With Bankai confused with to which one of her was the real one, she was certain she could cleave him in half... or at least get a cause a major wound onto him. Things wouldn't be so easy however. As her weapons closed in on Bankai from all sides, only two of them being real- Bankai suddenly performed a similar technique. He produced two clones, evenly matching her number of "hers" that she had assaulted him with. Her numbers trumped his clones by one number, but she had left one to stand back for slight confusion an hesitation.

Her goal had been to cleanly end Bankai's antics by ending his life: a very efficient method. He had suddenly summoned two clones though and tat had thwarted her plan for a clean kill: she could only assume as a young boy, he was a lower classed soldier and as such, he would employ the usual clone technique that she herself had used. Bankai had summoned two clones to stand toe-to-toe with her overwhelming numbers. Vex positioned herself against the back the left clone and steeled herself in her resolve to kill the boy. Her blade sliced clean through Bankai's left clone- it was wrong though, he was actually on the right side and her clones harmlessly passed through the real Bankai.

His clone technique was different than the usual one, she realized that as soon as her blade passed through the clone. Aside from not passing through the clone harmlessly, none of the other clones disappeared either- alarms rang in her mind as she suddenly saw the clone begin to detonate close to both combatants. The explosion enveloped the area around them up to 10 feet in diameter and created a small crater in the ground, charring the dirt and the explosion rocked the ground around them. The boy had gotten into a scrap with a talented girl and before too much longer, the explosions would damage more than just the ground.

After the explosion would end, likely including Bankai and his other clone as well for being so close to the epicenter of the explosion. The idea of having a small crater in the ground wasn't a pleasant one- the hole would need to be filled.

The smoke would clear and in the spot where Vex would have been standing, would be a burning log on the ground. Hot embers would be on the surface of the wood and it would smoke from the burns of the flames. Explosive clones!... I can't let him get near me. I thought that last trick was just an interesting trick.. but this boy is clearly more talented than I first thought he was. Vex thought as she stood several feet away: she had substituted herself just before the explosion, caution wasn't her strong suit, but the previous explosion had unnerved her and it had been prudent to be cautious.

She grinned as she looked in the general area of her opponent, he had probably managed to escape most of the damage from his clones. Now it was time to finish him off! She lifted Chastity up slightly, an evil chakra began to glow off the fanned-blade. She began to mold chakra in her stomach and suddenly leaned forward and blew out three small fireballs from her mouth at Gin. The three fireballs ignited into further flames as they touched the open air. The fireballs grew in size, averaging fifteen feet in diameter and travelled towards Bankai at high speed. This was a C Rank katon technique, but her weapon Chastity's ability increased the power of her jutsu by two ranks. Now these three fireballs were A Rank, capable of 4th degree burns and large explosions.

Regardless if they hit Bankai or not, they would create far larger fiery explosions than his clone had made. Each fireball would explode separately once they hit their target or something else in their destructive path. The explosions would reach out in twenty five feet radius in Gin's general direction and spread the flames to nearby buildings.

Vex knew she had overdid it, using such a destructive technique inside a city, but she just really wanted the annoying and cocky boy dead. She would charge her chakra, feeling for sure that there would be retaliation for her dangerous jutsu. The human ear and the mind, the speed at which the brain had act on sound is amazing, as the real Bankai heard the movement of his attacker positioning herself behind the back left clone. As he heard movement, the movement of his opponent that is; he knew already which one was his real opponent.


Bankai smiled to himself as he thought about it. Bankai's actions were of a result of his relentless practice in the academy, of the clone jutsu his opponent used, that these were not tangible clones like his were since these clones, he noticed they did not cast a shadow at all and from prior knowledge, these clones also never disturbed the environment at all and would therefore not give off any sound. They were more like illusions than anything else. He could not defeat this enemy and knew he had to find his comrades and escaped from this place as his guide Sancho followed him.

1,185 words