Stalker's left hand went to a scroll on his thigh. He unsealed it with a puff of smoke, revealing three weighted, bladed chains. "My name is Hubei Emi, of the Emi clan. Remember it, for you will have the honour to die by my household's hidden art"
Ryugo frowned. The Emi clan was one of the five clans of Tanigakure, from the intel he had read in his parents' scroll. They were infamous for their unique weapons and high mastery of wind ninjutsu. Their chains, when used with futon enchants, could cut through steel, making them incredibly dangerous.
Hubei whirled one chain, then sent it snaking out, not at Ryugo, but at the ceiling above him. The blade bit into the metal.
'He's trying to control the environment', Ryugo realized, 'Limit my movement'
The second chain followed, aiming for Ryugo's legs. Ryugo dodged, but the third chain was already in the air, a whirling blur aiming for his head. He ducked, the blades whistling past his ear.
Stalker pulled. The chain embedded in the support groaned, and a section of rusted metal grating from the ceiling broke loose, crashing down towards Ryugo.
Crack-BOOM!
Another Thunderous Step. Ryugo vanished from the spot, the grating smashing where he'd stood. The chain, however, gutted his left flank. The bleeding was profusing.
'Not good', Ryugo analysed
Even if the fight ended now, the wound was critical. He took a soldier pill (D) to control the bleeding, and hid behind a pile of rubble. The dirt and smoke from his opponent's strike giving him a moment of respite.
"You are not being so bold now, are you? Get out! Fight me, Kagutsu boy!", he shouted, provoking him
"Storm-Cage Blade (C)!"
Ryugo's mind, cold and clear, performed the final calculation. He had one shot. The jonin was confident. He was close. He had the initiative. He would stake it all on one single killing move, something he had trained, but not mastered yet.
Ryugo started moving, not with Thunderous Step, but with the pure, grueling physical agility he'd hammered into his body. He closed the gap in two strides, his legs hurting from the previous clash of ninjutsu. The Storm-Sever Katana (B), the gift from his mother, was threatening. Raiton sparks illuminated the sword in the obscure room.
Stalker's eyes widened slightly. Is he committing to close combat? With my bladed chains out? Suicidal.
Ryugo's left hand shot out, not for a punch, but in an open-palm strike towards Stalker's chest. Stalker batted it aside easily with his forearm.
It was exactly what Ryugo wanted. The block created an opening.
"Raiton: Thunderous Step (B)!"
In a split instant, Ryugo escaped the close combat, dashing onto the ceiling, or what remained of it. Seeing Ryugo positioned for a simple charge, Stalker used a substition no jutsu, retreating at full speed.
"Raiton: Thunderous Step (B)!"
Ryugo pressed in his advantage, entering close combat again.
*SPLASH*
A single cut aimed at Stalker's left, weakened side. Just like his chains had gutted him, Ryugo's Storm-Sever Katana cut through Stalker's torso, revealing a deep injury.
He did not go down so easily, however, and retaliated with an Emi hidden art technique.
"Emi Hidden Art: Bladed Defense (B)"
His chains surrounded him, and exploded outwards, similar to the Hyuga's Absolute defense, except it was bladed chains surrounding him rather than pure chakra. The jutsu would have been lethal, had Ryugo not seen it through.
"Raiton: Thunderous Step (B)!"
"Raiton: Thunderous Step (B)!"
"Raiton: Thunderous Step (B)!"
His Raikogan, however, saw a path forward. The bladed chains were a labyrinth of cuts. Some paths, however, were less lethal. His cheek, arm, hands, thighs, ankles...Not one of his limb was free of injury, but nevertheless, he shot forward, moving from high-potential point to high-potential point, dashing in succession at speed faster than what a regular human brain could process, a killing technique that could only be wielded by a Kagutsu.
High raiton mastery, high kenjutsu mastery, high raikogan mastery, attributes high enough to handle the stress.
The conditions were numerous, but they allowed Ryugo to find an offensive path in what seemed to be an immuable death.
Closing the distance at lightning speed, his kinetic energy was unmatched.
"Amegakure Kenjutsu: Needle Sword Thrust" (C)
The same move Ameruyi had shown him to shatter a boulder. He'd practiced it ten thousand times. Not with her grace, but with Kagutsu ruthlessness. And with his speed, the result was clear.
The dark blade became a grey streak. It pierced Stalker's armour as if it was a sheet of paper. The blade entered Stalker's chest just below the sternum, angled upward, driven by Ryugo's entire body weight and the last of his strength.
There was a wet, solid thunk.
Stalker stopped. All motion left him.
He looked down at the hilt of the sword protruding from his body, then up at Ryugo's impassive, exhausted face.
His blue eyes held no anger now, only a profound, final surprise.
"What...what was this?", he whispered, blood bubbling at his lips. His Bladed Defense was the pride of his clan, a technique that was infamous throughout the shinobi world. It had never been breached. Not by Konohagakure. Not by Sunagakure.
"What…what are you?", he muttered
Ryugo breathed, and twisted the blade.
Stalker's knees gave way. Ryugo let him fall, withdrawing his sword with a sickening sound. He stood over the dying jonin, gasping for air, his chakra pool reading [12% – Critical].
He did not bother answering him. This was never a duel.
[You have killed [Hubei Emi - Lv. 52 Jonin]. You have earned 832 EXP]
[Battle Logs]
[Thunder Clap Proficiency +4, Thunderous Step Proficiency +20, Strategy Proficiency +15, Lightning Arc Proficiency +8, Amegakure Kenjutsu: Sixth Form: Falling Rain (D) Proficiency +12 (New), Amegakure Kenjutsu: Steel Pouring (E) Proficiency +10 (New), Amegakure Kenjutsu: Needle Sword Thrust (C) Proficiency +64, White Lion Storm Bite Proficiency +10, Kunai Jutsu Proficiency +5, Storm-Cage Blade (B) Proficiency +13]
[Status: Ryugo Kagutsu | Lv. 29 (↑1) Chunin (350 / 3 950)
Attributes (Scale 100):
Chakra Density: C (51) (↑3) | Chakra Control: B (4) (↑3)Mind: D (72) (↑5)
Agility: D (95) (↑1) | Strength: C (18) (↑1) | Stamina: D (84) (↑1)
Perk: Lightning Specialist (C), Poison Immunity (C), Team 11 Captain (+20% EXP to Team 11) (D), Amegakure Chunin (C) (+10% Reputation gain with Ame)
Skill Proficiencies(Scale 100):
Bloodline Release: Raikōgan I (C) (53) (↑2)
Ninjutsu(Raiton): Thunderous Steps (B) (25) (↑20), White Lion Storm Bite (B) (26) (↑10), Storm-Cage Blade (B) (13) (↑18), Lightning Clone (C) (2), Lightning Arc (D) (91) (↑8), Lightning Snake Kunai (D) (64) (↑1), Thunder Clap (D) (53) (↑1)
Genjutsu: Genjutsu Reversal (D) (88) (↑12)
Kenjutsu: Amegakure Swordsmanship (C) (17) (↑4), Needle Sword Thrust (C) (4) (↑62), Sixth Form: Falling Rain (D) (12) (New), Steel Pouring (E) (10) (New)
Taijutsu: Academy Rain Fist Style (E) (76) (↑3), Ame Corps Unbalancing Throw (D) (16)
Miscellaneous: Stealth (C) (75) (↑5), Kunai Throwing (D) (83) (↑5), Strategy (D) (94) (↑15), Logistics (D) (10), Wilderness Survival (D) (10), Trading (D) (24), Eloquence (D) (63), History (D) (10), Flute (E) (37)
Items: Storm-Sever Katana (B), Chunin Jacket (C)]