Hitting the Ground Running

After his last move Zaine was almost sure that he would have his old sensei pinned and it was due to this that he felt he was in the perfect position for an offensive maneuver. The steam would make contact with Raleth as he began to chain together hand sings but due to the obstructive qualities of the steam Zaine was unable to make out what handseals were being done and was only able to make out that Raleth was charging a large amount of chakra, more than he had previously in this fight by what looked to be almost double. Zaine had no idea what was to come, his opponent was suspended in mid-air and only had access to the three elements that he had already showcased, so what was his plan? Not more than a moment after Raleths last handseal would take place, the Jounin would begin to soar through the air, up and over the gust of wind previously produced by Zaine. Without much warning Raleth bolted in the direction of Zaine at an alarming speed. The fire dragon fired by Zaine would be avoided as Raleth flew around it and again in the direction of him. Even with the assisted ocular benefit of the sharingan Zaine would be hard pressed to counter this speed. 

To his surprise Raleth held his position hovering behind Zaine without launching a counter attack, though he had more than enough time to do so. Zaine released the chakra he held pent up in his chest and dropped his handseal. His opponent was quite literally out of range of his entire arsenal and it was clear to Zaine that this match had come to a close. With this he turned around so that he was fully facing Raleth as he spoke "You had me a bit surprised with that water dragon." Zaine would pause, smirking looking down for a moment then up again at Raleth while shaking his head "But this..this is on an entirely other level, when in the world did you pick this one up?" The two tomoe in Zaines' eyes would slowly fade out in unison leaving red sclera and a black pupil before his sclera would subsequently and slowly change from a scarlet red back to a deep and rich dark brown. The echoes of of one of his father's last lessons trailed through his mind as this occurred "When you deactivate your Sharingan, it is a sign that the battle is over, either due to your mercy to spare an opponent or your acknowledgement of defeat. Even if you know you can't win, the decision to continue fighting means you give it your all till the very end." A sense of pride would come over Zaine in himself and in his mentor, the two had grown in many ways, though Zaine understood now even more so the amount to which he would need to improve in order to protect that which he holds dear. Fortunately, some of those he held dear were more than capable of fending for themselves.

Action, AP, Calcs, Stats and Jutsu :

[WC= 512*2(Event Bonus)=1,024 WC]

And finally the match was over, ending a stalemate that was orchestrated by the distance created between the two men. Nevertheless there was a lot that Guren had learned about his teammates and their capabilities, some of their elemental affinities, and their general fighting styles. Both men showcased exceptional talent, and if this had been a life or death combat scenario each of them were presented opportunities to truly punish their opponent. Guren speculated that both men recognized that, thus he wasn’t interested in inserting his own opinion into this interaction between his teammates. Thus with that Guren promptly stood up, now hydrated and appetite sustained. He stretched out his back and arms, reaching towards the sky. In the process his bones cracked and his muscles were relieved of significant built up tension.

Now feeling good, Guren smiled at his comrades and waved. “Thank you for allowing me to spectate. You both are incredibly talented and I am excited to work with you,” he called out just loud enough for both men to be able to hear him, despite the distance. “Oh, and thank you for fruit. Although I did help myself…” Guren politely expressed his gratitude as his hand transitioned from a waving motion to retracting three of his fingers and now throwing up a peace sign.

“I do need to head back to the village now so I can report in from my mission. Give me a holler once you guys make it back.” Guren requested. Now he would turn around in place and begin to rush off away from the Oasis. Although he had stopped for some a break to recuperate his strength and watch his colleague spar, he still had ample amount of time to make it back to Sunagakure and report in earlier than anticipated. Nevertheless, he couldn’t push his luck thus he departed from the scenery with haste.

~Exit~

(WC = 314 x 2 Event Bonus = 628. Total: 3272)

1313 to claim B Rank Chidori Katana
1125 to claim B Rank Hidden Mist Technique
750 to claim C Rank Water Cutting Sword
94 towards C Rank Suiton: River Cutter (94/750)

The forearms, face, and neck of the aged shinobi, Raleth Saurtobi, simmers and stings, his own hubris and haste burns in his mind. He looks to Zaine Uchiha, beaming like a mentor whose seen his student surpass him. Releasing the chakra that he held around him, the swirling air currents that kept the ash-haired jounin hovering above the water calmed; and, like a feather, Raleth descends to the water, gathering chakra in his feet to keep himself standing on the surface. He scans the surrounding area, the singed palm fronds, the charred shore, and the distorted and reformed sandbar. A cool wind breezes over the dunes, rustling through the fronds of the Oasis. 

 "You had me a bit surprised with that water dragon." ,the words of his pupil ripples over the waters, Raleth faces the man that he feels is no longer his student, "But this..this is on an entirely other level, when in the world did you pick this one up?"

"Many years ago, in my travels to the land of stone. My mentor was a middle-aged man. named Oinky the Fence Squatter." 


Raleth walks up to Zaine and places his hand on his shoulder, and speaks with the tone of a brother, friend, and mentor. "The techniques one has does not determine ones strength, it is how said techniques are used. Even a hammer, crafted by the Kami, builds nothing until a carpenter comes." 
Raleth lets go of Zaine, and brings his hands together, a fist against a flat palm. Raleth Sarutobi bows before Zaine Uchiha, recognizing the chuunin's victory in their spar. As the jounin stands, he looks to his friend, humbled and inspired by the skill Zaine displayed. "It has been an honor to see you grow, you show me how much more I need to learn." 
Raleth extends his hand, and grabs the forearm of Zaine, like one does to an equal, and a comrade. 

A cool voice breaks over the silence of the wind-swept and battle-battered oasis, the unknown man who had sat on the sand-bar earlier reveals himself.
“Thank you for allowing me to spectate. You both are incredibly talented and I am excited to work with you,” 

the man said. From his look, Raleth can tell a great strength resides in the man's humble frame. With him referencing that he, Zaine, and Raleth would be working together, the Sarutobi deduces that the unknown man must be the leader assigned to Zaine and Raleth's team, Gurren Chinoke. Raleth bows in greetings, and a shamless smile spreads over his scarred face as Gurren mentions him having eaten some fruit. Gurren rushed out of the palm-tree encircled Oasis, saying his farewells. Raleth waves goodbye, and walks to the sandbar where his fruit basket and package awaits. He goes to the package and opens it, producing a clay, ornate tea kettle with two clay cups. Kneeling on the shore, Raleth pours two cups, awaiting his friend to join. When he does, the two enjoy a good conversation over tea, no longer as student and pupil, but comrades in arms. Afterwards, Raleth packs his things, and leaves.

[EXIT]

WC = 521 x 2 (Event Bonus) = 1022


TOTAL THREAD WORDCOUNT = 4926 (will claim later)

Approved of claims @Guren.

Approved of exit @Raleth.

The wind flowing the Oasis finally began to settle as the remnants of chakra from previous jutsu began to disappear. Zaine was overcome with a sense of ride and jealousy as he looked on at his master, his power seemed to grow no matter what the circumstances and this was one of Zaine's main inspirations to get stronger. As he listened to the words of Raleth Zaine would take this time to reflect on their battle and what he felt he did right and what he could have done better. It was clear that e had the perceptive skills to react to opponents with greater power than him but the issue was the room he had for error. If one mistake happened it could have been the end of him in a real bout and this thought troubled him deeply. "You're not fooling me, you could have ended this fight sooner but you were taking it easy on me". Zaine looked away as he smirked, hands laced and behind his head as he spoke again "The next time we fight I expect you to come at me with the intent to kill, its the only way i'll improve". Their battle having come to a decisive end Zaine would turn his attention to their spectator, Guren. During their fight Zaine caught glimpses of his reactions to certain techniques and he noticed multiple times that Guren's expressions suggested he had a high level of battle instinct. Zaine would Make it a point to meet up with him later to discuss the possibility of training with him to grow his strength even further. 


Zaine would bow to Guren before he took his exit, thanking him for his praise and letting him know that he would be seeking him out later. Zaine would take some time to sit down and have some tea with his old master as he gave him praise, stating that he could now be viewed as his equal. These words touched Zaine as his entire life he aspired to reach the level of his father and sensei. Happiness welled up inside him and as the two finished their tea Raleth would get up to make his exit. Now alone Zaine shed a single tear of happiness before quickly wiping his eye and closing them both. The young shinobi would stand up and smile as he began to walk from the waters of the oasis through the palm trees, heading back towards the village. 


[EXIT]


WC- 413*2(Event Bonus)=826WC


Total WC= 7,882


Claims


Three Tomoe Sharingan- 6000/6000 WC (4000 from this thread)


Stat Boost- 7800 WC towards stats


3800 WC for jutsu below


Wind Release: Jump Technique 2500/2500 


Great Fireball (B--->A Rank) 1500+1000 WC=2500/2500 

Approved claims and exit for Zaine