| abstract | - Kurumi looked up from her stack of papers, the therapeutic motion of filling them out forgotten as something registered on her radar. A slow smile crept to her face as she recognized the feel of that signature. "So you came." she said contentedly, putting her pen down. "Should I attack him or talk first....I guess I could do both." Kuru laughed. Kiyoshi would feel the land he traversed becoming darker, menacing as it became aware of it's deity's feelings towards Ki's presence. A exact replica of Kurumi emerged from a tree above the lonely man, before leaping down. "It's been a while." she commented, her gaze violet as she took in how much her father had changed, having grown older since she last interacted with him. Though he still retained some of the vigor of his past years. "Welcome to my homeland." Kuru added, gesturing at the world around them. One could say the entire country was staring at the two as tension crackled between them, a small smirk twitching at the corner of the lady daimyõ's lips. She cracked her knuckles as a woodland deer approached Kiyoshi before nosing him curiously. "Traitor," she teased as the deer walked away. Despite the tenuous feeling in the atmosphere, the woman exhibited a light-hearted ease. The wondering father ceased his movements, feeling a stir went about the lands. The man would turn toward his daughter, mirroring her smile with one of his own. It was almost as if he didn't recognize her, -- studying the effects of her substantial growth over the years since her departure. "You should've known this day would come. After all these years." He returned as he walked forward. "My dear daughter, you're all grown up." Stopping just short of her, the man's large frame towered over Kurumi. His dark gray eyes lightened a bit, remembering the simpler times when she was just a mere toddler. He reached out lightly caressing the woman's face with a fatherly affection. In an attempt to set up a stoic demeanor to hide his confliction, Kiyoshi's face harden into a serious glare. "I see you possess your grandfather's kekkei genkai." Removing his hand, the man's turned his back toward Kurumi. "That would explain the odd feeling of this forest. Very impressive." His hand placed on the butt of his sword, Kurumi could probably assume what would come about next. "I don't expect you to make this easy," "That tends to happen when time passes." she responded, her violet eye color shifting to a lighter shade of amethyst. Kurumi remembered a time when life was simpler, when one didn't have to worry about the mess things had become and the accident that changed her trajectory permanently. Such memories were brought forth by the fatherly affection displayed by Kiyoshi. His glare caused her own smile to fade into a frown. "Both my grandfather's and great-great-great-great-grandfather's KG actually." she stated, remembering the First Hokage. Her frown deepened at his last statement, "How did you find me?" she asked. Already knowing the answer but searching for a confirmation. "So you're here for the reason I thought you are. Curious to see if you can succeed where your brethren have failed?" Kurumi said condescendingly, traces of her grandfather present in her tone. "This was never to be easy. That is something I saw to personally father. Times have changed and I responsibilities to tend to." "You're smart, you should already know how I was able to find you." Kiyoshi said blankly. Having already been on his guard, the man slowly began to unsheath his holy sword. "This was inevitable, Kurumi. Your actions caused a rift among our family and the village as a whole." A sudden surge of energy engulfed the man's body, sparks of his affinity being present within the air. "Squadrons of ANBU, those of which, were instructed not to use lethal force. Slaughtered. Killed by one of their own." The energy around them grew thicker with every passing moment. "Do you know how it feels to be prompted to declare your own child as Rogue ninja?" Kiyoshi's voice had became as sharp as his face, remembering the struggle of having to choose between his child and his country. "Kurumi Yuri, you have been charged with treason." By now, the man's sword was completely unsheathed -- and the battle would soon commence. "I am here to do what others failed to complete. And by the end of this, you will be returning home." "Heh. Ha. Oh god that's so rich. Not use lethal force? I guess everything just below that threshold was to suffice then. As long as the technicality wasn't breached all was well." Kurumi retorted. "Do you what it's like to be smothered by your homeland, your potential restricted for their own peace of mind?" Upon his declaration, a sense of piece entered her system. It was over; the chance of reconciliation had passed. "Then there's nothing left to be said." her grin was audible as her own chakra upsurged, her trusty bõ staff present in her hand. Giving it an experimental twirl she pointed at him. With the slight moving of her lips, roots chased after Kiyoshi with unnerving speed, seeking to restrict him from multiple angles. "Leave me alone. I have no business with your nation anymore. I gave that same message to each one of your Kumo squads. But each one refused to listen to me." She backed up before her chakra rose to massive levels, becoming a song that resonated with the woodlands around her, causing them to heed her call. "Never return here. This is my home now. That place stopped being by home as soon as its people decide to cripple me." she sneered, her eyes burning with purple fire. With nothing left to be said, the field had been set and the combatants began their respective assaults. Kurumi was the first to act, using her coveted kekkei genkai at attack her father from all angles. Her father nodded in approval, preparing himself to make an adequate counter-attack. With the man's energy being present within the atmosphere, Kiyoshi would then go to call upon it -- manipulating it into the form of lightning. This lightning would be used to combat the woodland roots, tearing through the roots with a refined precision and causing them to catch fire. Kiyoshi dark gaze intensified as he returned Kurumi's glare. Channeling his potent energy through the rest of his being, Kiyoshi sought to shorten the distance between them -- using the lightning aura to evade any roots from establishing contact. With his sword held backwards, Kiyoshi swung in a side motion -- actually attempting to use his initial attack as a feint: slightly opening his mouth to reveal his fire breathing intentions. Should Kurumi attempt to defend the sword's slash, she along with her forest would be set ablaze. He remained as spry as ever, his speed leaving Kurumi mildly impressed as he closed the gap while releasing a fireball to the woman's face. She greeted such an attempt with a release of water from her own mouth in order to cancel out her father's effects. While roots rushed to their guardian's aid in order to protect from the sword feint while looking to ensnare his arm. It became as natural as breathing, seeing as this forest was an extension of Kuru. While balancing on a foot, she leaped, using her father's head as a step stool before somersaulting over him. As soon as her feet touched the ground she turned, executing a 180 turn while bringing her bõ staff upon the center of his back with a vicious flick of her wrist. The woman had her mother's strength after all. Not a drop of mercy existed in her bones if Kiyoshi insisted upon returning her to Kumogakure. Her patience for that place had long since dried up. And she was intent on reminding Kiyoshi that he would have to kill her if he planned on bringing her back to the hell-hole. It was time for the woman to spread her wings and see the world around her. Not settle and die in the place she was born. And he would expect nothing less from his own child, being more than capable of maneuvering with miminal difficulty. The man smiling to himself, kiyoshi used his stimulated energy to leap incredible bounds into the air -- successfully evading more roots that intended to restrict his movements. It all was becoming clear, the forest was Kurumi's great asset, she was sync with nature itself; mastering the wood release kekkei genkai to an even greater extent than Seika could've only ever dreamt of achieving. But he remained as calm as ever while ascending into the skies. Kiyoshi smiled widely, pointing toward Kurumi's back. From her rear, the woman would take notice of Kiyoshi's own act of deception. Created from the element release from his body moments before attacking. The clones rushed her at alarming speeds, with the sole brave attempt of jumping on her -- a rather childish gesture embedded in the man's fighting style. Kuru sighed as her father evaded her attack, taking to the skies. Not wasting time, the woman waited until they were nearly upon her before releasing her chakra from every possible tenketsu, creating a wave that radiated out, slapping the clones backwards while causing them to vaporize from the force. Her presence remained as potent as ever, causing the woman to smirk. Noting her father's vulnerable position in the sky, she created a Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique to chase him, closing in on the man with it's fangs bared and at unnerving speed. She had buried a few surprises within the dragon, one that her father would soon find out to his personal dismay. Not that she was worried for the man's health, considering his was a former Kage. "Hmph." she thought to herself as she awaited his move, knowing that he would have to come down at some point. Though her smile showed the girl was enjoying this battle, having waited so long to stretch her legs against a more challenging opponent. It all seem to have fallen in place, to Kuru's dismay, possessing little to no knowledge of Kiyoshi's lightning prowess. Unlike normal clones, these clone could cause catastrophic results of forcibly disbursed. And with Kurumi doing just that, she would've fell as prey to his malicious attack. The force of her chakra itself caused the clones to explode upon being repelled backward. Massive explosion would've surely devastated the entire area where she stood. Using his exponential control over the fire element, Kiyoshi had been able to stay afloat by gearing the energy toward the soles of his feet. With the dragon's pursuit, Kiyoshi sought to meet it head on with an attack of his own. Engulfing his form in an aura of lightning, Kiyoshi slashed in sword in a downward motion, spilling the dragon in two. He further continue his travel to the ruined grounds below -- rupturing with the ground with that energy upon his quake. She laughed as devastation ruled the day, explosions rocking the area as the lightning clones annihilated the area where she stood and the slash made an ugly gash in her land. He was Kumo through and through with his lightning aptitude. She snapped her fingers, causing the dragon that he had split to immediately reform, each half becoming a whole as they took advantage of his momentum based trajectory to attack him, one closing on his shoulder. They were completely undeterred by his lightning aura, simply biting through the layer while enhancing their own vigor from the gained chakra. For they were designed with a specific function in mind. As for the devastation, the woman emerged unscathed, rolling her neck to work out any kinks, while feeling the forest regrow around her, shining in its original luster as if nothing had happened. "Never. Ever. Harm. My Nursery." she stated flatly as she watched the dragons begin doing their work in besieging the man. The man stood in place, fully accepting the fact that a dragon was masticating on his arm. His stare was blank as the energies were being drained his body. "You nursery? YOU HAVE KIDS?!" He retorted immaturely, pulling his arm out of the dragon's tusks. He would go to place his sword back into its sheath before reinserting his arm back into the mouth of the dragon. An peculiar action with planned with specific purpose. And in actuality, her actions were the direct cause of this outcome. Kiyoshi's chakra was like a parasite slowly but surely infecting the very land she sought to protect. Like her, his energy was becoming mixed with her own through direct absorption and from the ruptured ground. The dragon chomp weaker and weaker, by now Kurumi would have felt a massive a massive disturbance as the land was being deprived of something valuable for its existence. Water. The lands begin to rumble and screech as the once lively vegetation begin to wilt. The healthy green and brown colors turn gray, the dragon had eventually collapsed, turning into a a swivel of a branch from what it once was. Kiyoshi still bore an emotionless expression, slowly lifting his hand to summon up what he had done. And through the wilted dry land, their forest's source of life began to bubble into the air. Upon recognizing what he was doing the dragon immediately let go, though it still retained the effects of his plan. And now Kurumi was angry. Beyond angry actually as she watched her homeland wilt with Kiyoshi's intervention. A sneer lit her face as she noted such an action was a two way street. He should have never connected his chakra to this place. Placing her hands together as if in prayer, her indigo gaze glowed slightly as she mapped out the parasitic tendencies of his energy. Finding the half she wanted, the woman pulled on those strings, converting his imbued parasitic chakra into life giving Yang, transforming the dying landscape into its full vigor once more. Though it lacked water, it could prove to thrive just as well on the energy of this world. "Think of the world as my child. One that I must protect from treachery like you." Kuru stated flippantly. Knowing that her father would feel the reversal of energy taking place as his plan was flipped on its head. Her smile grew as she created more handseals, bringing the entire landscape and atmosphere they resided into full bloom. The potency of the technique only increased by the conversion ratio that Kuru had placed on her father's slight of hand. It was the ultimate act of betrayal, the animal would bite back at the hand that fed it. It was a simple parasitic infection that would later turn into one cancerous disaster. While Kiyoshi was foolish to bond his chakra with the land, Kurumi would be even more foolish as to use it recreate her lost life. In this instance, this is where Ki could show the earnings of early training days. It was because of the near absolute control over his energies that would allow the tide of battle to shift in Kiyoshi's favor. The forest vegetation bloomed anew, being created from the same source used destroyed it. Kiyoshi marveled at the attempt, giving his daughter several hand claps to compliment her excessive skill set. "Using my very essence to recreate your land. Not the smartest decision you could've made but an impressive feat nonetheless." Having funneled his chakra to the ground from his earlier descent, Kiyoshi was provided with more than what he needed for the hostile takeover to commence. Using the now cancerous effect of his power, the energies would continue to spread throughout the far reaches of the land. Using the other half of his granted powers, Kiyoshi would utilize this as a means for elemental manipulation, an asset he had been well trained in over his lifetime. Grasping hold of the yang Kurumi created from his essence, Kiyoshi would forcibly re-bond his essence with his spiritual energy. This allowed him to gain a precise control over the Woodland area despite not possessing the wood release kekkei genkai. Kiyoshi slowly lifted his hand, consciously commanding the vegetation to attack its former master, wrapping itself around her body; soon encasing her being leaving nothing but her face visible. "Oh, so this is a clone?" Kiyoshi said suddenly, having discovered Kurumi's location from their bonding energies. A storm began to brew as the once bubbly liquid began to shift into clouds. The heavy gray clouds match the darkness of Kiyoshi's remorseless gaze. "See you in a bit." Kurumi tapped a pen on her desk as her clone was engulfed. "Don't you hate it when your parents try to take your things away?" she said to no one in particular. Though elemental master he may be, and someone befitting of the Raikage title, he was no Wood Release user by any stretch of the imagination. She yawned, before communicating telepathically to her clone. "Dispel." Following her original's instructions, she did, seeping back into the earth as a pure form of yin-energy. There was a purpose behind this, as the now dissipated clone formed a wave of her own, quickly catching and overriding the destruction her father was reaping. The land itself turned back to its guardian, adapting an overwhelming yin form that would then switch to yang, creating a yin-yang flow that disrupted and expelled Kiyoshi's own, returning the countryside to its rightful owner. Kuru designed the disruptive mechanism to continue on an unending track, lest her father try such tricks once more. The signal was shown must clearly by the roots falling away from the now empty space. "You're a stubborn one." Kurumi stated aloud, her eyes shifting to a radiant forest green, filled with the life mother nature had to offer. But could just as quickly take away. Thunder rolled across the restless sky as the land shifted below. It appeared time for heaven and earth to meet once more. She stood, her smile that of relentless sadism, the darker half of nature's coin. "I look forward to it." By removing his parasitic energies from the equation, the man would lose his ability to sense her precise location. Though she retained her ability to find his. She leaped out of her daimyõ office window before landing on a treetop, letting rise until Kuru could see across the entire world that was her own. A slow grin alighted as the woman spotted Kiyoshi from a massive distance away. "Found you." Kiyoshi could feel as his grip over the nation began to loosen until eventually it was gone. "Damn." The man cursed to himself, losing his ability to detect his daughter's exact location. Despite being at a massive disadvantage once again, Kiyoshi remained at calm as ever -- carefully examining his surroundings. Reigniting the fire in the soles of his feet, Kiyoshi took to the skies like a rocket powered jet. That man continued to fly straight ahead, making his way to the place where he last felt the original source. Knowing there would be done sort of ambush along the way, Kiyoshi continued the charge. Spotting a large building in the distance, the man would began yet another assault. Clasping his hands as if in prayer, the man began to surge the potent energies through his being once again. His hands slowly separated as the devastation between them was revealed. A miniature ball of fire, he would release it, allowing the ball to slowly make its descent to the earth. With his longer finger, the man released a jolt of lightning. As if it were a switch to a ticking time bomb, the condense ball of fire exploded in massive proportions. Bring a fiery rain down upon the land, targeted specifically at the woman's sanctuary. Kurumi tsked at her father's fiery display, particularly as it raced towards her offices. Making specific handseals, she formed a barrier of water that encompassed the structure, absorbing the flames as they continued to rain down from above. Following the reverse trajectory, she spotted her father residing just below the dangerously overcast sky. Her chakra built as another wood dragon developed below her before lifting her on to it's back. Meanwhile, the water tight dome shimmered before fading to the trees below, returning to earth and refilling its reservoir. "Shall we meet him once more?" Kuru asked, only for the dragon to snort as it took to the skies, stopping a short distance from the floating man. Kurumi smirked at her father, "Come to collect your rebel daughter? Why is it that you people can't understand that I don't want to return home? I've found my own place and a new scene. It's not in me to remain the baby forever; the time has come for me to spread my wings." She shook her head, already expecting an answer from Kiyoshi that she wouldn't like Kiyoshi mug remained hardened. His face displayed an emotionless panel, his eyes reflected that exact same demeanor. While he did expect her not to comply with his wishes, he did, however, expect for her to put up as much of a fight as she did. "My rebel daughter, ehh?" He replied in a smug manner, chuckling at his daughter comment. "I can honestly say that your development is unlike anything u could've predicted." Kiyoshi was beginning to voice his growing impatience, his glare deepening as the moments passed. "Whether you want to come back or not isn't up for discussion. We clearly had opposing views, so it is either you come back willingness or Papa is going to have to drag you back against your will." If was the ultimatum he was offering, the finally chance Kiyoshi was getting his daughter to surrender. "I do not really to harm you, Kurumi. But you're leaving me with little options." "Why does it irritate you so that I refuse to go home? Is it perhaps an insult to you that I chose to find myself? Besides, I wouldn't have made the discoveries I did or met the people that I encountered after establishing my independence. Face it, that village was restricting my potential. And I refused to be constrained by such a place, regardless of what you think is good for me. So yes, it appears we have opposing views." Kurumi retorted, having predicted correctly that her father's answer would be one that was dissatisfying. "And what do you stand to gain from bringing me back "home"?" she said, stressing the air quotes around the last word as her expression remained unfeeling, her forest green eyes cold as thunder boomed overhead. She could already guess that he would say peace of mind, but considering how she lived after that accident, and the jealousy she could sense from all her peers that watched her excellence flourish, her peace of mind would be non-existent as soon as the woman re-entered the village. Never mind, that Kuru was responsible for killing a good number of their anbu. The man's glaze was cold. He remained quiet, lifting his hand to eye level with Kurumi. Channeling this energies of his body, Kiyoshi would go on to express these powers into a the physical place. The sheer force of his chakra turned the wind currents against one another, creating funnel clouds that threatened to destroy the lands below. It soon started to rain, along with this thunder rolled in among the clouds. Kiyoshi whistled in a high pitched tune. "I'm sure they'll love to play." There would be roaring in the distance, distinctive noises that sounded like flapping wings. The roars grew louder as the beasts near. Flying at unheard of speeds, three creatures of gargantuan size charged toward Kurumi. With a subtle nod from Kiyoshi, the red dragon was the first to attack, opening it's mouth to spit a blazing hellfire down toward her. Just then Kamiyo appeared and smiled at the two. "Hey is this your dad Kuru? He sure looks angry." He then planted a long and loving kiss upon her lips, smiling as they broke it. "I'm off to visit my dad so you two have fun." The man spoke as he disappeared. Kurumi blushed as he left. Turning her attention back to the dragon bearing down on her, Kuru could feel the presence of her grandfather within the construct. "So you're one of his creations." she thought, before beckoning her wood dragon to race above the beast's hellfire. Once in position, she dropped off her dragon's back and onto the red one. Feeling him buck wildly once she sat down. Her grin grew as she caressed the latter's back, realizing why her mother had such a strong kinship with the dragons she summoned. One could feel the wild nature that felt so similar to her rebellious capacities. Despite knowing that he was currently an adversary, she felt that same kinship. "That's quite the breath attack you have there." Kuru soothed, feeling the dragon calm underneath her hands, empathy taking place. She nodded at her wood dragon, who flew off to confront the other two summoned individuals. "Really, using mother's favorite compatriots? That's low of you father." Kurumi stated. Kiyoshi was froze in awe, watching angrily as some random man locked lips with Kurumi. "Who the fuck was that?" He snapped, meeting Kurumi's blushed gaze with fiery one of his own. Though he already knew the answer to that question. He would continue to look on as Kurumi effortlessly tamed his father's creation. "Kasai! What are you doing?" Kiyoshi asked the purring dragon. It was almost as if the two shared some internal connection, Kasai was somehow wrapped around her finger in less than fifteen seconds. "She is really her mother's daughter. " He sighed, flicker his index and middle fingers upward -- turning Kasai into a puff of smoke. With the wood dragon in pursuit, the others prepared to attack on their summoner's behalf. Mizu was the to pursue Kurumi, channeling energy to its massive snort; the biue dragon unleash a massive torrent of water. Following in suit of his brother, Inazuma relied of that same motion, releasing several streams of lightning from its mouth in conjunction to the water. Kurumi felt Kasai begin to disappear, though not before she promised internally to free him from her father's grasp. Noting that she was without a ride, she nodded as her dragon once more went to attack one of the dragons from her above. Timing it right, she switched places with her wood compatriot before dispelling him. Landing on the back of Mizu, she returned to her dragon loving tactics before another clone slid out of Kurumi and gracefully leaped on to Inazuma's back. Once there, the two worked their magic in tandem, bringing the dragon's under their wing so to speak. It appeared that Kiyoshi had not learned his lesson from earlier. She grinned as the dragon responded to her embrace, rubbing their heads affectionately against her hands as she ran them along the graceful necks. Now she understood why her mother loved these majestic beasts, having held a summoning contract with them from a young age. In fact, there were times that Shi had left her daughter in the care of a dragon should both Kiyoshi and herself be busy. Causing the woman to reminiscence about playing along that dragon's tail while it patiently guided the girl along. She brought Mizu around to face her father before watching Mizu launch another massive wave combined with the electricity of its partner Inazuma, but this time at Kiyoshi. Kurumi expected him to have something planned for this attack, but took precautions of her own while awaiting his reaction. Kiyoshi scoffed at the attempt, finding something particularly hilarious about Kurumi's actions while soothing her grandfather's dragons, as if she almost seemed.... normal. "Hmph." Kiyoshi shrugged, lifting out his right arm to meet the reversed assault played by his treacherous summons. Unraveling his fist with excellent timing, the electrified water would freeze upon contact with Kiyoshi's skin. A smile slowly crept onto his face -- bringing the halted ice to shatter into tiny glass-like fragments. Kiyoshi would consciencely turn his attention to the skies, commanding the heavens to spit a single bolt down into the lands. The sheer speed of the bolt would have been to quick for a timely escape for any typical ninja. But Kiyoshi knew Kuru was no ordinary kunoichi. Having the bolt targeted not at her, but the man's dragon of lightning -- striking the crown of the beast's head. Kiyoshi's energy Invaded Inazuma, bring their shared affinity to implode within the dragon's body. A massive electric aura surrounded the dragon's body in a sudden outward burst, allowing the entire entity to act as a massive flashbang. Turning up the static noise of the lightning, the woman's father sought to impair both her vision and hearing in one fatal swoop. The noise itself would be too much for Mizu to handle, resulting in the dragon's sudden vanish from the area, leaving a bindered Kurumi afloat all by her lonesome. Having already tweaked his senses to negate the lightning's effects, Kiyoshi sought to attack his daughter -- sending the ice shards at her with a strong enough force to easily slice through her skin. Such a grandiose display. Perhaps it was fitting for a former Kage to be able to attempt such things. As noted by Kurumi, his time was impeccable, causing one of his own summons to go out with a bang, taking her clone with it. Soon her own summon would disappear due to the bombardment of noise and light, leaving the woman suspended in the air by her own virtue. Had her father attempted such a combination on any other individual, it would have been successful; indeed this strategy would be perfect for attacking and overwhelming opposing forces. If you were willing to sacrifice some of your own of course. As soon as the ice shards reached her, they came into contact with layers of hardened wood before falling harmlessly to the ground below. Such a tactic was born of necessity for a woman that had spent the last decade on the run. Yet the defense was reminiscent of Gaara's own defensive attributes. With the danger averted, the wood sank back into her body while it reknit the woman's fractured ears and eyes so she was whole once more. "Really? Sacrificing one of grandfather's dragons? I wonder what he'll think of that." Kurumi stated, her voice icy with disdain. Wind blew as the woman dropped to a treetop, balancing upon as she stared down the floating man. "First you corrupt my land, then you attempt destroying my home, now you sacrifice a summon gifted to you. Where does it end? Are you willing to kill me to give yourself peace of mind?" Kuru said, letting her words hang out there. Her eyes shifted to sage green as natural energy welled within her body. "Destroy him. He harmed the earth with no regards for potential consequences. Defiling it so that you would have to mend the place endangered by his hand. End that overbearing evil." a voice whispered within Kuru's mind. Power began leaking out of her as the land rose, preparing to meet the sky above and ready to crush all who lie in between. "Peace of mind?" Kiyoshi replied in a deep tone, glaring at his daughter while a grin started to creep Ita way onto the man's face. "Let's just say there are things that you must pay for. And I'm here to collect the compensation for my troubles." With the end of that sentence came the rain pouring down in tenfold. The thunder continued to roll the cloud whilst bolts of lightning strike the grounds below. "Everything that's happened is because of you. Ruining other lives just so you could improve your own. Not for once caring about the havoc you left behind." And as the wind began to increase, several funnel clouds began to spiral down toward the earth. A menacing laugh erupted from the man's lungs, thoroughly enjoying the events unfolding. "Thanks to you, I've unlocked a power I would have never dreamt of achieving. And I'm dying to test it out" Kurumi laughed, the tone forbidding as she processed his words. "Oh is that so? Maybe I simply don't care about your nation. Or its people. I gave ultimatums like they were my apart of my profession. But no one listened. I utilized every option in the book before beginning my killing spree. Yet a dogged pursuit like that couldn't be shaken through diplomatic or cunning means." she shrugged, watching the funnel clouds develop. "So you haven't been brooding this entire period." Kuru nodded. The rising earth close to meeting the descending sky. Shaking off the concentrated bolts of lightning as it continued its ascension. "Feel free to disclose the monetary amount that you'll be receiving for your troubles. I'm sure you're just dying to put me behind bars so you can collect. Best part for you would be not only that all "crimes" are paid for, but now your child is permanently confined to the village. Never having to worry about her running of again. Do it, I was always curious to see what your limit is." Kurumi finished, baring a sardonic grin at Kiyoshi. "Soon." she soothed the internal voice that had raised an objection earlier. Without so much as another utter, Kiyoshi would began he assault. Bringing his focus to each and every individual droplet of rain he would mentally command them to expand into giant pools of water, targeted around Kurumi. And simply due to the vast amount of drops there were, this action would take no more than a few seconds to fulfill. My in the midst of this, the lightning strikes were becoming more and more frequent with each passing second. Kiyoshi grinned as he actions were creating the destruction he longed for. "I'm here not to lock you away, no, that is not what I seek to do. Reflecting back on my own life, I realized that my demise began the day you were born. I am here to correct those wrong doings; to erase you from all existence." The heavens reacted to Kiyoshi's resolve, the quakes of thunder clapped louder than before. And within the man's eyes, only darkness remained. "This, Kurumi Yuri, is what you've created. The hatred I bear is for you and you alone!" She laughed bitterly. "You never had any intentions of taking me home. No, the moment I surrendered you would have sought to bury me in the depths of some distant part of the Land of Lightning. Hate is such a strong word. Perhaps you despise me. Maybe I loathe the very fiber of your being. But you brought this upon yourself. Did you fear what I was capable of should I slip from your grasp. It could have concerned you what I might do with a realization of my aptitudes. No longer a cripple, a body that began to match the mind that wielded it. How funny that you realized your own insecurities by trying to avoid them. A simple request denied because like your predecessors, you feared the strength of your own shinobi." Kurumi retorted. "Very well. Let us see what your hatred as taught you." she finished, her sage eyes blazing as the pools of water gathered around her. An elaborate trap that combined with the dazzling light show was meant to end her. She smiled angelically, waiting patiently for Kiyoshi's barrage. Having concocted a small strategy for the madman. "You're consistent talking is really starting to get under my skin." As if the elements where reacting to his emotions, the many orbs began to combine together, slowly turning about as they linked. In mere seconds, a giant water spout funneled it's way into the clouds in an attempt to completely surround Kurumi allowing for no easy escape. Clasping his hands in prayer, the man would not cease hid actions there. Using his astonishing prowess with the water element, Kiyoshi could remotely manipulate the water to decrease the temperature. Using the ever spinning spout as a sort of torrent, Kiyoshi would fire them off in rapid succession, aiming toward the center of the spout where Kurumi rested. Ready to act on it's master's behalf, the skies offered up countless rays of lightning. "This one might actually to the trick. So you won't be able to just shrug it off." Kiyoshi smirked as he vanished into thin air. And when the thunder had finally ceased, in a blinding flash, out from the heavens came a bolt of mass destruction. One with the potential to destroy and entire village upon contact. A lighting attack Kiyoshi would deem his one powerful lightning ninjutsu alongside Heaven's Fury. "Shame. I thought we're supposed to talk it out?" Kurumi stated flippantly, her light-hearted demeanor showing. "Water and Lightning again. I'm really starting to hate that elemental combination." she retorted, remembering how had been the result of original injury from so long ago. The woman sighed as the funnel surrounded her, the water spinning angrily. She yawned as the lightning rained down, mixing with the furious element as its perpetrator disappeared. Noting that he made the wise yet foolish choice of leaving the scene. Kuru snapped her fingers as the lightning met the rainwater, turning the source into a shield that went from attempting to harm her to protecting the woman. Having purified the torrent in order to create an insulator from the attack. She watched the proceedings unfold with a sigh, before directing the water flow into the massive forest she called home. However, the potent admixture of her chakra injection proved capable of making the falling water her own, protecting it from the corrupted individual while extending her reach to the skies. Allowing her to clear up the tempest and return the sun to her land once more. From her position she patiently waited for him to make an appearance, noting the sun was slowly dipping towards the horizon. Her forest gaze slowly flickering with boredom. She didn't have time for a person obsessed with putting on airs. The elements of water and lightning, played within a perfect combination at hands of the Hurricane. The most fundamental assets of the man's style, served alongside each other for this very moment. Having charged his rainfall on more than one consistent occasion, it was a set up to get within close proximity at a small chance of failure from the very beginning. The window of opportunity revealed itself in this instance, bursting forth from the electric particles contained in waters. And out from them the man appeared, with a devious smile embedded of his face. A man who's so far in-tune with his element of lightning, that it was even allowed to move instantly through it. Having his sword in hand, the would appear directly behind Kurumi, using the instantaneous movement of the thunder gods and the sheer speed of lightning, Kiyoshi sought to interrupt her while in mid-action; aiming to impale Kurumi directly through the center of her chest He succeeded. Or so he thought. The blade found its target, successfully piercing Kuru's chest thanks the speed of the combined maneuvers. However, as soon as the act was completed, the woman transformed, wood wrapping around the entirety of Kiyoshi's body as her form collapsed into the shape of a prison, cocooning around Ki tightly as its chakra absorption kicked into high gear, strengthened by the imbued senjutsu of the body double while ensuring the man would not be capable of reversing the procedure. The wood continued to coil tighter, intent on crushing its quarry into small, bite size pieces. Another Kurumi emerged from a nearby tree, rolling her neck as a malicious grin adorned her face. Completely unscathed from Kiyoshi's efforts to do away with his troubles. "A father attempting to murder his own daughter. How detestable. I could kill you for that." she responded to the growing mass. Nothing about her smile said that she would mind committing such a deed. And just like that, the tide of battle shifted and despite the man's overwhelming barrage of attacks, it all seemed to be for naught. Or at least she saw it that way. As easily as he was able to dish it out, Kurumi had been able to successfully counter and then seize control. But for some mysterious reason, Kiyoshi appeared not to be affected by the predicament his found himself in. But instead, the man offered up a maniacal laugh, being somewhat amused by his daughter's efforts. "My my, Lil Kuru is all grown up." He said in a nonchalant manner, seemingly unaffected by his energies being drained right from him. "How naive you are, child. If you really up for the kill, take it. Because, if so happen to escape this.....I'm going to enjoy the taste of your blood." Kurumi grinned satanically. "It appears we're on the same page then. The moment you tried to kill me is the time when you decided to forfeit your life. You clearly had no intentions of leaving me alive." She snapped her fingers. Hearing a body shattering crunch as the structure completely collapsed on its inhabitant, dead set on leaving pieces of the original person. The chakra absorption ramping up to incredible levels to minimize any tricks he had up his sleeve. Mercy was not apart of this affair. He had attempted to leave her bloodied and broken on the forest floor. Given his current state of mind, she worried about the health of the rest of her family, particularly her mother and elder and sister. Thus she considered making an exception to visit in order to check on their well-being. However, her priority was eliminating the maddened wreck her father had become. A task that appeared to be at an end. Not that she was relaxing in the slightest; Kurumi couldn't expect to when facing such an individual. Particularly in his degenerated state. "Alas, it appears we are finally able to agree upon something." Kiyoshi's voice whispered from behind Kurumi as the man's strong arms ventured out to grip her frame from seemingly nowhere. "You didn't think it would be that easy, did you? My child, you appear to be stuck right where we started." While being in such close proximity, Kiyoshi took at long stare at his daughter. Kurumi bore uncanny resemblance to the latter's former wife. Their shared looks disgusted Kiyoshi even more, bringing the man to tightly squeeze the girl. Reflect the vice grip she held of him mere moments ago. "Kuru! Let's play fifty questions! I'll go first!" Suddenly, the woman would be deprived of her air supply, feeling as if something were tightly wrapped around her throat. "Are you going to survive this?" That he reacted so fast was of no surprise to her. And to answer his question no she did not expect it to be that simple. There was no fun in that. However, she found his vice grip and the deprivation of her air mildly uncomfortable. She couldn't fathom how he expected his grip no matter how strong to harm her at a level he wanted. However, this air supply situation was rather irritating. She responded by hardening the portion of her throat being squeezed, minimizing the effectiveness of his technique. As for his vice grip, she pried his hands apart before flipping him over her and onto his back with a crash that shook the land. Perhaps he should have looked deeper into her mother's family archives. There were some interesting relations that he clearly did not know about. And she planned on making him pay for lacking such knowledge. Her amethyst gaze turned violet as the night sky as she curbstomped his stomach. Yes, she would visit her mother and siblings after this. This insanity that had clearly consumed him was not only a threat to her, but to her few remaining loved ones. "My dear daughter, how naive you are." The man spat as he stood before a collapsed Kurumi. Bringing to realization of what had actually been transpiring. With her mind lost to a genjutsu, enabled the moment of Inazuma's flashy exit. Triggered by the loud bang and the blinding rays of light. Kiyoshi prepared to complete his main objective. "To think, you did all of this fighting. Only to prove that you couldn't best me even on my darkest day." A completely changed being was all that remained, presenting a dark aura that none would recognize. No longer befitting of the moniker that was "Pure". For he was not the loving father that Kurumi had once knew, he was a man filled to the brim with hatred. A detest for those whom he called family. A step deeper into the lake of darkness. "Stupid little bitch," he spat once more, taking his unsheathed blade to impale the child he had known as his daughter. Watching ecstatically as the dark red fluid spilled from her temple. "I almost feel bad for doing this. But damn does it feel good. Perhaps my former wife would like your head as an anniversary present!" Grasping his daughter by her throat, he extended her out toward the skies, glaring with eyes filled with nothing but darkness. "Say hello to your Grandpa for me." Harboring the resolve to claim his daughter's life, Kiyoshi prepared to in-act the final stroke to end it all. "WAKE UP." Kanzeon roared at Kurumi, snapping her out of the genjutsu while presenting to her the perilous state in which she currently resided. Coincidentally, her father's "Pure" alias came to mind as she was extended to the skies. "Are you sure you're not talking about yourself? Because you seem to be the imbecile in this equation. Go ahead, do it. Commit the act that your crooked object known as a heart desires. See what results from that affair. You plan on giving my head as a gift? Apparently you require a death warrant." she responded. The woman had the nerve to grin at the man, despite the blood dripping from her temple. She knew that even if he managed to kill her, he wouldn't leave this land alive. Nor any land for that matter. Her will seeped into the earth with each drop of blood spilled onto the ground. Her residual chakra from previous affairs already present in the earth. One could feel it shift as if a sleeping giant was awakening. Yes, she had been holding back this entire time, perhaps out of some semblance of the overbearing yet lovable father she once knew. But now, that was left to the sands of time. Her forest green eyes blazed to life once more, as gold flecks arose along with various colors of the earth. Silvers, browns, blacks, various shades of autumn. Unconcerned about her fate. "Have fun living at sea. If you manage to reach it first." her voice boomed, ancient and terrible. Calling out to its brethren. Upon the man's visage unveiled a crooked smile, seeing the strong will of his daughter first hand. "How amusing it is to actually see someone with such an unconquerable will. It will be even more fun breaking it as you plead for it all to end." With his words unrestrained, slightly condescending, Kiyoshi strengthened his grip around neck; silencing her from speaking further. "You think I'm afraid of this world? The earth is nothing to its Heavenly Commander. Your efforts will have all been for nothing, your will must be abolished! And it shall die along with you." Drawing of his sword once more, Kiyoshi resumed his merciless bayoneting upon woman's abdomen. His fits of laughter harmonized with her cries of terror. Spilling more and more blood onto her sacred ground. "That's it Kurumi! Give me something to look forward to after you're dead." Placing his blood stained blade back into its sheath, the man's fist would then spark to life, coated with the element of the sky gods. This would be the final strike, and in this one motion, it aimed to retrieve the woman's heart from her body. In an instant Kurumi slipped from Kiyoshi's fingers, as if she had been warped away. Down the tattered path of trees stood a tall man. His face was partially covered by a black hood that extended up from his cloak. Within his arms sat Kurumi held bridal style, obviously a bit confused. The man looked up towards Kiyoshi and stared at him, his purple eyes shining with disappointment. "I really can't believe you would try to do that. I've heard of some fucked up shit but you of all people Kiyoshi. I've heard stories of you and your father for some time now from my own father. Stories that portrayed you as such a caring and thoughtful individual. I never expected that someone who lived in the beauty of light could be so messed up." The man spoke, his tone unwavering. He then placed Kurumi on her feet and removed his own hood, his shimmering gray hair basked in the light. "You remember me right, I kissed your daughter and disappeared a little while ago. I'm sure you disapprove but then again this is coming from the same guy who's been going after his own children. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Kamiyo Ōtsutsuki." The space-time ninjutsu that had just warped her felt familiar. When she looked up from her position, she recognized the face immediately, causing her cheeks to rosen to a deep shade of red. The woman was being held bridal style by none other than Kamiyo, a good friend that could be quite a bit more. All the injuries inflicted upon her by Kiyoshi healed immediately. Causing Kurumi to send a silent prayer of thanks to her ancestors. Placed on her feet once more by the young gentleman, her blush faded as her chakra surged to abnormally high levels. Oh how angry she was. "A damsel in distress. I can already see my ancestors shaking their heads." she stated, fury coloring her tone. Looking less and less like Kiyoshi and Shigemi's child and more like a successor to her diabolical grandmother. If he didn't realize it already, Kiyoshi would begin to see just how much she had been holding back in their previous skirmish. "Remember all those Anbu that you chided me for ending? They were child's play. Why use your full potential against such infants?" she said, her voice ancient and terrible once more. A sardonic grin graced her face as her eyes continued to shift through greens, yellows, browns, silvers and golds. "Save your breath. Words mean nothing to him." she warned Kamiyo. Kuru appeared quite enthusiastic to return the favor. The cruel twin to Kamiyo's unfeeling disappointment. "You know absolutely nothing about me. So what right do you have to talk down as if you're better than me?" Kiyoshi spoke out so suddenly, with a voice that portrayed a ridiculously calm demeanor despite the thickness of hostility that had been among the three. "That man you heard about died the moment Kurumi decided she wanted be 'rebellious'. She created the man you see before you now. And she must atone for her sins." With the utter of these words, there was a shift that went about the man's body, a powerful surge of energy bombarded the entire area. Mother Earth herself began to tremble at his might. Within the man's dark eyes a light started to blossom through, calling upon his blessed visual prowess Kiyoshi would then close his right eye. From behind those lids blood seeped slowly outward, lightly sliding down his face. "Please little girl, you think you were the only one holding back? I could've killed you moments ago if it had not been for your friend." The sheer force of Kiyoshi's power began to crater the earth beneath him. "I hope this power that you've been harboring is worth its bragging right. Because this time, you shall die." "You act as if you know my entire life. I created this monster in front of me? Perhaps I did, but who knew it would be simple?" she shrugged. Kurumi and Kanzeon switched as she fully activated senjutsu, causing the dilating colors of her eyes to settle into a pattern mimicking the four seasons. That he believed Mother Earth was trembling at his power was an act. She laughed at his naiveté. "The little girl you knew so well no longer exists. She disappeared the moment Kumogakure was placed to her back. I found it amusing that she held back against you. I thought maybe it was the remainder of some familial love. But no, your little Kurumi recognized that you were holding back just as much as she was. And she had no interest in fighting someone withholding their own potential. That she nearly died by your hand showed her mistake in underestimating you. Fear not though, I shall decline doing the same." Kuru/Kanz stated, their voices melding into one. When he cratered the earth the woman clicked her tongue. "Didn't your mother teach you to respect the earth? Yet here you are making a mess of things as usual." She snapped her fingers, causing the activation of genjutsu tempered from her senjutsu prowess. It sang while imbued into the entire landscape. She expected his Sharingan to break him out of it. However, that the entire land possessed this activation code served as a residual effect. The moment he broke free he would be returned to the affair, creating a cyclical affair. Despite his increase in presence and the activation of his dōjutsu, there was still more to come in her mind. And she wanted to see it. "Feel free to intervene at your discretion. Though that ability of yours might be useful." the woman added thoughtfully. Her previous call had worked it's way to the ears of a goddess. Between the trees emerged a foot, nearly white in color. Her step sent subtle shock waves of life through the fields, and her very being created a glow of unearthly origin. Her hair, purest of white, flowed behind her, tangled and littered with flowers and such. And her very own eyes, a soulless crimson, despite lacking the dōjutsu of the Uchiha Clan. A smile crept on to her soft lips. "Shitamizu noted that she felt her sister's call. I tried getting here as soon as I could." she said with gentleness, but her voice was noticeable enough to stop whatever was going on. She scanned the situation, analyzing Kiyoshi, Kamiyo, and Kurumi. She could feel the tension in the air, as well as the element of lightning. Her eyebrow arched after coming to a certain conclusion. "You were fighting." she sighed to punctuate her claim. "Kiyoshi-san. I do remember you. What has brought about such intense anger? why are you attacking my friend?" she asked, but in her ear whispered Shitamizu. After a few long seconds, Himizu nodded her head. "I see, you intend to harm my family. Your family as well. That means I'll have no choice but to handle this situation in a less.. friendly.. manner." she stated sullenly. Her eyes took a new form on their own. The whites of her eyes darkened intensely, and her pupils swirled and whitened to take a new shape. Now, she possessed the Kinzaigan, her very own dōjutsu that would easily put any other dōjutsu to shame. "I am sorry that it has to be this way." "Apparently that man I heard of was gone. I can't exactly say I know your situation but anyone who attempts to kill their own child has no sympathy from me." Kamiyo stated as he stood by Kurumi. He could feel the anger emanating from each of them, the very force of their souls was massive. Kiyoshi's massive presence breaking apart the earth and Kurumi wrapping it in her genjutsu. Kamiyo stood unaffected by these. The genjutsu was naturally stopped as he made the space between that chakra and him infinite. It was then that Kamiyo noticed another presence among them. "I see you must be here to help Kurumi too." Kamiyo nodded as he looked back to Kiyoshi. His hands fell to the ground as a shockwave ran through the earth. The entire ground below Kiyoshi's feet had turned to a sludge-like liquid. The very molecules of the ground below him had changed their state from a solid to a liquid. "Kurumi lets see how your well your dad can dance." Kamiyo laughed, slipping into a tango pose.
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