Iron Sharpens Iron (Miyamoto)

Despite the discomfort caused by the curse mark, Shiro continues to track Miyamoto's movements as he body flickers at 45 speed to Shiro's right. Not seeing an imminent threat by this change of position, Shiro continues to focus on bearing the pain of the transformation. It is when Miyamoto begins to accelerate towards him and close the distance between the two that Shiro finds himself struggling to defend himself. This nearly paralyzing pain is like a full body cramp that keeps the body's muscles from relaxing so that they can be moved. Really, this effect is a figment of Shiro's own mind due to the fear of a more excruciating pain from moving.

To Shiro's luck (OOC: and because I forgot to give the transformation a speed stat), the process ends just as Miyamoto is swinging his rock staff at 30 speed. With this speed being within his reaction time, there is just enough time to block the first strike with his left arm. Some strain comes with raising the arm and using the shoulder but it is much lighter than it was prior, at least bearable.

At 137 speed, his left arm rises to meet the rock cane. With Shiro's arm having 130 strength behind it and the rock staff having 10 health, the block shatters the cane as the arm moves into position. Shards of the rock pole fly in the opposite direction from the forceful impact.

Shiro lowers his body by crouching his legs at 70 speed and turns his midsection to give himself angular momentum. With this turning speed of 20, he extends his right leg outward to sweep Miyamoto off of his feet. For the strike, Shiro limits his strength and impacts his target's ankles with 20 strength. With a successful hit, Miyamoto should fall to his left.

"Though the strength in my muscles has drastically increased, I can still control how much of it I use. This power that flows through me, at first felt difficult to manipulate to my desired limits." Shiro thinks, jumping backward and landing 10 meters below, standing on the ground. From there, he proceeds to dash backward at 68 speed. He stops ten meters away from the pillar.

(369/2,291)

AP:

Curse Mark Deterioration:

Miyamoto was caught, he watched as Shiro moved with dazzling speed to intercept his oncoming attack.  The power behind the swing was about all he could muster, but it was in vain as Shiro destroyed the cane like a comedian would do a "spit-take".  Outward the earth exploded, it showered Miyamoto as the fragments cut into his skin, sections even hiting vital areas of his body causing welts and light bruising already.  There was nothing Miyamoto could do Shiro, his opponent was too strong, and Miyamoto had just not trained hard enough to combat such a foe.

"How do I counter this?"

He thought to himself rather quickly, however there was not enough time to think as Shiro moved again, crouching like a praying mantis, but not entirely out of Miyamoto's measurement of speed.  

Then he struck out like lightning would fall from the sky. 

 Miyamoto steeled himself for the oncoming blow.  He was not fast enough to dodge, nor was he strong enough to take the outright strike without sustaining damage.  As his ankle was struck, Miyamoto used the blow as it knocked him backwards to move at a speed of 10 to flip backwards instead of falling to the ground.  It was then he felt it, the damage was done, his ankle had sustained at least a bruising injury and his movement would be minimal at best.  He was now 2 meters from Shiro before noticing him flipping back 10 meters.  Noticing he was near the pillar of earth from earlier still in tact.


"What is he planning..."

He thought as he would get back into position, he looked for Shiro's Fudo Pike...He happened to notice it was not in his field of vision for his last attack, maybe he was moving to fast to notice, but if he had lost it, perhaps Miyamoto to could gain the upper hand in close quarters.  As it stood now, he had no real chance, but he would still try of course, he could only get stronger through training.  

Miyamoto took off after Shiro, performing the hand signs needed for Hiding Like a Mole as he did, he would sink into the ground, now moving at a speed of 30 he would aim for the pillar beside Shiro, he would move up the pillar, and as he would do so create another Earth cane.  Miyamoto would do as he did earlier, coming out of the top of the pillar he would throw the rock section cane slightly upward hoping to catch the attention of Shiro, still moving at 30 speed he would flip as he comes out of the hole, performing the hand signs quickly for the substitution technique before the cane would come down.  Miyamoto would catch it midair and throw it with 15 strength in the direction of Shiro, slightly making sure that the cane would miss by a few inches.  The substitute Miyamoto would stand at the top of the Pillar while the actual Miyamoto would be flying at Shiro at 70 speed.

If Shiro would fall for it and dodge, Miyamoto would spring into action once behind him and perform Discipline taijutsu across the back of Shiro with 35 strength and 35 speed, hopefully catching him off guard enough for an opening.

If it all worked, Miyamoto would strike once more using Discipline to hit Shiro across the chest with 35 strength and speed.

[WC: 567/2,231]

AP:

With the affirmative impact felt in his right lower leg, Shiro proceeds with the rest of his actions. Performing complex movements similar to the Leaf Gale he had just performed still cause slight irritation of his muscles and the strain of the curse mark is notable. Each strike takes just as much work as it would without this amplification but the output, Shiro feels, is much harder to manage. It takes a conscious effort for him to slow down or hold back when necessary.

"Tomoya was right, activating this curse mark can have quite an effect on my body. I don't feel sick but this kind of power must come with a cost, a toll. I fear what might come out of my deactivating this seal." Shiro thinks, dashing backward and seeing Miyamoto dive under the ground. "But having to actively hold this strength back makes me wonder exactly how powerful my body would be without inhibiting the curse mark's full power. In a confrontation with an enemy ninja, I would not need to suppress my body's new capabilities. What destruction would ensue?"

At his landing, Shiro begrudgingly waits for a stimulus to put him into action. Allowing his opponent to evade his sight a second time, he realizes, was a mistake. Now, time ticks on as Miyamoto has a chance to plan his next attacks while Shiro stands ready.

"Based on the last time this occurred, I'm expecting another straight forward strike. His uppercut was not successful but connected because the attack was sudden and difficult to predict based on the knowledge I had at the time." Shiro thinks, removing a kunai from his right ninja pouch with his right hand. "Why would he get up close to a ninja skilled in taijutsu arts? Thinking that I could rule out that possibility is what caused me to drop my guard to it. Against an enemy I don't have enough information on, making assumptions only creates holes in my defenses. Had this been a serious fight against a ninja with skills greater than or equal to my own, I'm not certain that I would still be here to regret that decision."

Miyamoto emerges from the surface of the rock pillar, a second staff with him. Seeing this, Shiro's anticipation for a frontal attack dies out and he concentrates on the body of his opponent. His right arm lifts to bring the kunai across his front.

"There he is. And with a new rock staff... flying straight at me." At 70 speed, the long stone cane spins towards Shiro. Tracking its path, though, he can see that the projectile will speed past on his right. As it goes by, the wind generated by its speed blows against Shiro's face. "This time, I'll make the offensive mov-"

A white cloud spreads from the rock staff not to far behind Shiro. From the corner of his eye, the white spread is caught just as he feels the whack of a pole-like object against his back with 35 strength. Immediately, the number of entities that Shiro is keeping track of in his mind increases from the one body atop the pillar to both it and whatever had struck his back. Not wanting to look back and take his eyes off of the first point of interest, he body flickers forward at 207 speed and stops just in front of the pillar ten meters in front of him. On top of it, a copy of Miyamoto stands. At 137 speed, Shiro turns to face a second Miyamoto with a rock staff in hand.

"Two of them." Shiro places his hands together and forms the horse and tiger hand seals at 137 speed. After the second sign, he blows forth a 2 meter wide fireball traveling at 40 speed and with 40 power. "And as for the one above..." At 137 speed, his left elbow pulls forward and rushes back towards the rock pillar behind Shiro. The strike is performed with 130 strength, overwhelming the 20 health of the structure and collapsing it into fragments that spread out as they fall. The high surface of the elevated platform falls to the ground and, eventually, separates along with the rest of the crumbling mass.

Finally, at 90 speed, Shiro lunges to his right and stands 5 meters away from the pile of rubble to his left. His eyes lock onto Miyamoto and his right arm springs into action, flinging the kunai in it at 30 speed with 91 speed.

(752/3,043)

AP:

Curse Mark Deterioration:

It all happened so fast, Miyamoto was almost lost in the whirlwind of it all.  His attacks seemed to all prove successful, yet he was barely making a dent against Shiro.  His latest tactic should have put him in a great position, maybe even allow him to set up some sort of finisher.  Miyamoto however, seemed to forget that he was facing a superior opponent that has seen some sort of actual battle time.  He felt his first attack hit along with seeing Shiro being pushed a few feet, that is when the fight took a turn.  Shiro was quick to see through the act as he would react quickly, body flickering to the pillar.  He could not even see how fast Shiro was moving, but it seemed like the jig was up.  Miyamoto looked down quickly to his arms, they were bare, his Rock Fist technique had worn off, but he still had staff in hand.  

He could still fight.

That is when he caught a slight glimpse of Shiro beginning to form some hand signs, Miyamoto reacted quickly not missing a beat though as he would use Body Flicker to move at 30 speed immediately 5 meters to the left.  Once reached he would quickly aim while running, he would hurl his rock cane at a speed of 70 once more aimed at center mass of Shiro hoping to at least take the wind out of his sails.  The move was not a noble one though, and Miyamoto knew that, but in a fight it was sometimes necessary to try and handicap your opponent.  If the attack were to hit Shiro the strength would have an impact force of 7.5 but a strength of 35.  

"take this you overpowered training dummy!"

He would yell while doing so, his temper had flared up, and he could feel a rising force inside of him.  He knew that this side of him was just a family trait, but nonetheless it was also a power that Miyamoto would need to soon tap into for access to some of his most powerful techniques.  After his little tantrum he would then attempt to close the gap at a speed of 15 so that he could launch a series of blows aimed to impact Shiro in his gut with a strength of 15.  His breathing during the entire process was labored.  He was running out of energy fast, and if Shiro was smart he would probably try to knock Miyamoto out as soon as he got close.  He hoped however, that he might have been able to distract him enough to actually do a little damage though.  

AP:

[WC/2,673]

From within, Shiro can feel a growing heat spread through his chest. The warmth, not having the intensity to burn him, is more of a soothing radiation than a scathing fieriness. His breathing becomes more relaxed and less hindered while his inhaling and exhaling increase in length. Through his ninja vest, the orange glow emanating from his lungs cannot be seen but it does show in his lower neck and upper chest.

"Phoenix's Endurance has kicked in, I can feel the chakra generating heat to expand my lung capacity." Shiro takes a mental note, quickly looking down into his shirt and lifting his head back up as Miyamoto is throwing his rock cane. "It could be that I've been sparring for too long. Or, just maybe, my opponent is doing a good job of keeping me on my toes. Either way, this is a sign that I'm beginning to reach my limit of endurance. Stamina has never been one of my strong points.... I think this is enough for today."

The rock staff coming Shiro's way at 70 speed is easily tracked and he prepares to test the full strength of his curse mark. At the same time, Miyamoto is running towards him at a significantly lower speed with the intent to land a strike with his own fist. The cane, reaching him fist, is dealt with quickly. Shiro lifts his left arm while turning his body so that the cane will fly past him rather than into him. Once it is in front of him, Shiro brings his left arm down upon it with 130 strength at 137 speed. With its forward momentum almost entirely lost in the downward force of the strike, the remains of the shattered earth cane shower onto the ground. Some pieces are even so small as to be called dust or pebbles. They roll along past Shiro's feet and stop not too far from his position.

Meanwhile, Miyamoto continues his advance, gaining speed and momentum for his punch. Shiro hears his threat, the voice so full of determination and self-confidence, and turns his head as well as the rest of his body to face Miyamoto. It doesn't take long for him to close the distance and launch his fist at Shiro's midsection with 15 speed and with 15 strength.

Across his entire body, bones about the same shape of his ribs sprout at 80 speed. In another situation, the bones might be sharp so as to be used as weapons but these possess rounded ends and do no harm. Also in another situation, Shiro would spin after catching an opponent in the grip or range of the bones. In this case, all that is needed is the sprouting phase to absorb the force of Miyamoto's punch and hold it in place. A short pause follows the impact before Shiro speaks.

"You have a unique aura about you. There's determination in your eyes and in your actions. All that you need is strength to match that energy." Shiro explains, retracting his bones and giving a light smile. "I'll be honest, I over extended myself in this spar. You're running down my endurance, keeping me on my toes, and making me rethink a few of my strategies. Both mentally and emotionally, you are quite mature and battle-ready. Continue to advance physically, and I have no doubt that we will do this again some time."

Through his speaking, Shiro's muscles relax and the marks across his body shrink while flowing back into his curse mark on his left shoulder under his sleeve. After listening to Miyamoto's response, Shiro will bid Miyamoto a good day, collect his scattered ninja tools, and leave the training area.

(612/3,660)

AP:

Curse Mark Deterioration:

[Exit]

[Claims: 14 stats (18 from wordcount and loss of 8 while regaining 4), 3,660 words towards Curse Seal of Kidomaru Stage 2]

Miyamoto watched as in the blink of an eye his rock cane was snapped and turned to dust.  He did not give up, he kept running with all his might until he reached his mark.  Just about the point of impact however, Shiro would activate some sort of technique that Miyamoto had not seen or read in his books.  As his hand connected he could feel a few of his bones pop or even crack. 

Yet Miyamoto did not howl or cringe, for he knew that this was all about becoming a better Shinobi.  He then heard Shiro speak about Miyamoto having a specific aura about him, but he needed more training to back up his fighting ability. Miyamoto nodded, but that was not all...Shiro then went into detail that the spar extended his own limits and also taught him a few things he needed to learn in the way of strategy.  It made Miyamoto happy that he was able to help out his peer while also learning from the experience as well.  

"Well to be in all honesty...I am at my limit, I was going to probably pass out before giving up, I do not have a limiter really when it comes to fighting...having to do it to survive has taught me to never give up, and to give it your all..."

He began as he would remember previous training exercises with other shinobi of the village.

"This is just the beginning Shiro...I will defeat you in combat...I will become the best in the village before I realize my true dream.  You watch!"

He said as he held out his injured hand for a fist bump.  After the fist bump he would watch Shiro walk away, leving him alone once more.  He felt something new however, a warmness in his chest and lungs.  Little did he know that his body was already trying to harness and figure out the use of fire chakra.

He would soon know.

Miyamoto walked home in silence as he began to plan out his next step in training his body for the Terumi Jutsu.  

(3,023)

Claiming; 15 Stats

[EXIT]