Sima gladly bowed as his name was mentioned and announced as he was made the proctor judge of the preliminary battles. Once the names were matched, battles began one-by-one. They were life or death battles and Sima had the power to call it off or allow it to continue. They were all escorted to a smaller arena within the village as opposed to the actual stadium. "Will the contestants come forward please," he instructed and waited patiently and then began talking again. "As you were told, these are life or death matches. I will only intervene if it seems hopeless, one of you collapses and cannot get up, or the obvious, one of you dies. If you cherish your life, surrender or else the battle goes on," he explained. "There are no rules. Now, begin!" he finished and stepped back a couple of yards and enjoyed the show.

13:40, Wed 02 Mar: Harusame Sakuya rolled 11 using 1d20.  Initiative, Harusame vs Yamada.

Having watched the previous battle, Sakuya understood that she has to give her all in this fight. When her sensei called upon them to approach the center, she responded with a curt bow to her sensei to affirm that she understood the instructions. She then looked to her opponent, Yamada Nori.

Sakuya's opponent looks to be older than her, and probably more experienced as a ninja compared to her.

"I am Harusame Sakuya, pleased to make your acquaintance," Sakuya greeted her opponent with a polite bow before she assumed a ready position. Her breathing slowed a little as she took deeper breaths and focused her attention in the way instructed by Fujii-sensei during training. Both hands forward yet relaxed, palms facing the opponent, legs at shoulder-length distance with her right foot forward. It was a textbook stance for defensive combat, a basic position to anticipate and gauge an opponent's strength.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:57, Thu 03 Mar 2016.

00:19, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 6 using 1d20.  Coin Flip/Initiative.

With the last challenge having ended, the remaining teams made it to the arena where the next challenge would begin. In all honesty, Nori didn't know how she was going to do but she was confident in herself and that she was going to give it all she got. She couldn't do this half-heartedly. She had to give it her all no matter what. She wasn't going to go down without putting up a hell of a fight. She listened carefully as the Raikage spoke to the genin about this last exam being one that was a fight for life with the pride of their villages and their own dreams on the line and explained that they would be participating in preliminary fights to narrow down who would be going to the real fights. They were given the opportunity to drop out and just when it seemed no one was going to, one girl raised her hand and Nori watched as she walked away to go stand by what seemed to be her sensei. So one less person to worry about, but maybe it was best that the other girl did drop out as she looked in pretty bad shape. She would have felt a little bad if she were the one to have been paired up with her.

With those that remained, there was 26 of them left and would all be evenly matched with someone else. This was it. Whoever surpassed these battles would be moved up to the final exam. Nori let her eyes roam over to look at her teammates and could only hope that they also make it there. She breathed in and then out before she looked back up to the Raikage with a determined expression. She wouldn't let his words shake her. She had to be strong. She would do this. She had to do this. Her eyes shifted up to the board that soon turned into a computer screen. There listed the first two genin that would have their battle first. Once those two had taken their places, the battle began but to her surprise, it only lasted minutes. It was obvious that those that remained were the best and Nori couldn't let her guard down or underestimate anyone.

When the proctor was called up and the computer generated who would be fighting next, Nori saw her name appear and the name of her opponent. Harusame Sakuya. They were each called to the center of the arena and she did as such. She stood feet away from her opponent and just looked at her. She looked young, but that didn't mean she wasn't experienced. She couldn't underestimate her. "I am Yamada Nori. It's pleasure to meet your acquaintance as well. Let's give our best in this fight," she responded. Nori closed her eyes and took a deep breath, slowly letting it out as she relaxed herself into her fighting stance and opened her eyes. Her leg rested in front of her while the other slid in a half circle to rest behind her. Her arms came up in front of her torso while she slowly clenched her hands into fists. She had to stay calm, but stand strong.

"Then I will not hold back, Yamada-san!" Sakuya declared in response to Nori's introduction. As soon as the fight was allowed to begin, the young Kumogakure genin immediately let loose a pair of shuriken at the Konohagakure genin.

These shuriken fell slightly short of their mark, however, revealing themselves as a feint for Sakuya to complete her real attack:

Water Release: Binding Water Chains

A pool of water immediately formed before Sakuya's feet, sprouting forth chains of water that flew forth at Nori's direction in an attempt to ensnare and immobilize her in place.

GM NOTE: 09:02, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 27 using 1d20+12.  Ninjutsu Attack.
[Always place the rolls on the bottom or top of the post. Makes it a bit easier.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:00, Fri 04 Mar 2016.

(( Yamada Nori rolled 24 using 1d20+10.  Ninjutsu Defense. Unsuccessful. ))

Nori kept her stance when she saw Harusame throw her shurigan at her. She knew she would be able to dodge those no problem, but odds were that her opponent was just using those as a defense so she could use her real attack. She didn't take her eyes off of them, but just for a brief second, they darted towards the pool of water on the floor and soon chains of water came towards her. She pushed herself off of her left foot, but it was already too late. The chains ensnared her and rendered her from moving. "Damn," she muttered under her breath.

Luckily, though, when she was captured, her hands were free just a little so she slowly managed to make a few hand seals in front of her. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" she shouted as she closed her eyes and tilted her head back slightly, kneading the chakra up within her body to create a greater flame before she expelled it from her mouth towards Harusame. If the attack worked like it should have, the flame would engulf her opponent and make the possibility of the girl breaking the chains of water to break and for her to get away.

(( Yamada Nori rolled 13 using 1d20+8.  Ninjutsu Attack. ))

ooc: my bad on the previous post :P
11:46, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 20 using 1d20+11.  Ninjutsu Defense.

People who are in the arena near Sakuya would have sworn the girl let out a yelp, managing to bring up a wall of water from the same pool of water the chains originated in order to shield herself from the fireball attack. It would cost some of the binding water chains that held Nori in place, but Sakuya could still make it up somehow.

With some confidence building up with herself, Sakuya invoked the Binding Water Chains once more. Additional chains sprout forth from the pool of water before her, with the intent of keeping her from unleashing any more attacks this time around. More chakra was infused into the water this time, ensuring that the new bindings are tighter and more difficult to move around in.

11:47, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 28 using 1d20+12.  Ninjutsu Attack.

(( Yamada Nori rolled 22 using 1d20+10.  Ninjutsu Defense. Unsuccessful. ))

When Nori saw Harusame block her fireball attack with her water wall, she slowly closed her mouth and dissipated the fire. However, it wasn't a complete loss. It did make a few of the water chains break loose, so in doing that it gave her an opportunity to make another quick hand sign before she saw her opponent summon up the water chains once more and come at her again. This time the chains were a bit more tighter and proved it nearly impossible for her hands to move. No matter, though. "Nice water chains, Sakuya-chan, but I'm afraid they won't work for much longer," she said with a smirk.

It was in saying that a gust of wind went past her and her identical clone dashed forward towards Harusame. "Leaf Rising Wind!" Once she got close enough, Nori's clone crouched down in front of the other girl, placing her hands on the ground before extending her leg out to deliver a roundhouse kick.

(( Yamada Nori rolled 21 using 1d20+12. Taijutsu Attack. ))
This message was last edited by the player at 16:40, Fri 04 Mar 2016.

13:53, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 25 using 1d20+9.  Taijutsu Defense.

The roundhouse kick managed to hit a startled Sakuya, she figured Nori to be fast but have not expected the Konohagakure ninja to be that fast. She fell onto her back, which was immediately followed by a poof and white smoke to reveal a piece of wood carved into the shape of a rabbit.

"Hai, Yamada-san... I guess they won't be of much use this early..." Sakuya replied a further distance away as she pondered her selection of attacks. Her jutsu are meant to wear down on her opponent, lacking the decisive punch to really take out opposition in one hit. There was that one jutsu as well, but she felt that it is still too early to use that one.

Wind Release: Dust Obscuring Wind

Sakuya took a deep breath, and exhaled chakra-infused air that blew dust up around her. With this, she could stall Nori down while she prepares an actual attack to execute.

13:55, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 29 using 1d20+12.  Ninjutsu Attack.

(( 09:00, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 12 using 1d20+10. Ninjutsu Defense. Unsuccessful. ))

Nori had a look of hope when she saw Harusame go down, but then she saw white smoke and a wooden shaped bunny take her place. "Wait. What?" she said in a low voice before she heard her opponent's voice come from a short distance away. Both her and her clone looked in Harusame's direction and before she knew it, there was a large gust of wind that blew up dust around them. She could barely see her opponent, so she had to squint to see her opponent but was unsuccessful. There was too much dust everywhere. Nori knew she had to come up with something that would have to unable her to clear up at least a little bit of dust. Odds were that Harusame was using this as a way for her to be able to think of her next attack because otherwise she would have just gone for it.

Nori pondered what she could do in her head. It was hard to a ninjutsu based attack when she could barely see anything because then she would have to be able to see her opponent. She couldn't just do it blindly and wish for the best of luck. Although, when she thought about it, she knew the general direction of which Harusame was so she could have her clone deliver something that was not be able to miss and clear some of the dust away. That was all she needed. "Okay. Let's try this again," she said before she closed her eyes and focused her energy on her clone's next attack. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" In saying that, her clone stood where she was and mustered up her chakra inside her before she opened her mouth and blew a large massive orb of roaring flames in the direction in which Harusame was.

(( 09:29, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 19 using 1d20+8.  Ninjutsu Attack. ))

03:01, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 16 using 1d20+11.  Ninjutsu Defense.

Sakuya had not counted on Nori using the fireball jutsu in this situation, the result being catastrophic as the fire spread explosively through the flying dust. The young girl invoked her water shield jutsu, which took most of the attack and kept fire from catching on her, but the explosion sent her reeling, not to mention clear up the remaining water chains and the dust.

"That was dangerous...!" Sakuya exclaimed as she invoked two water clones by her side. She needs to figure a decisive finish to keep the situation under control. The two water clones rushed forward in an attempt to deliver a coordinated attack with their kunai as Sakuya continued with her preparations.

03:01, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 20 using 1d20+12.  Ninjutsu Attack.

(( 12:23, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 19 using 1d20+10, unique dice.  Ninjutsu Defense. Unsuccessful. ))

Nori was glad to see that her fireball attack did work, but couldn't make full impact since Harusame used her water wall to defend herself and take the blow. However, the good thing was was that it broke the water chains and cleared up the dust, which was what she was hoping for. "Feels good to be free of those chains," she said as she rubbed her wrists and cracked her head from side to side before she saw her opponent's clones coming towards her. "So no time to rest, huh?" She smirked before she also took out her kunai from her holsters and attempted to rush forward towards them, but their kunai's collided and instead of making contact with the clones, they flung out of her hands and they sliced  her on her arm. "Damn," she muttered under her breath before looked over to the side to see her clone. Her eyes darted towards Harusame and pondered what her next move would be as she jumped away from the water clones.

After a few seconds, Nori knew what she was going to do. Harusame was still pondering her next move, which could all in all, lower her own defense. She was slower than her and her taijutsu attack was a bit on the weak side. She could play that to her advantage. She would just have to get these two clones to remain focused on her. She smirked before she brought her hands in front of her and made a quick hand seal, creating a few more clones of herself. Harusame was still pondering her next move, so she was distracted. Her eyes came back into contact with her clone at a distance, giving her a small, curt nod before they both flash stepped at the same time, causing them both to disappear. "Leaf Whirlwind!" Nori and clone's voice said at the same time from both in front and in back of Harusame. The two jumped up at the same time in unison and swiftly turned in a half circle with their legs extended to deliver a roundhouse kick. Even if one were to fail, there were good chances that the other would come into contact with Harusame.


(( 12:44, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 26 using 1d20+12, unique dice.  Taijutsu Attack.))
((OOC: I'm honestly not sure if the unique die did anything to alter my roll. I didn't even know it was clicked upon when I did it. If it does effect my roll, I will gladly do it over >< ))
This message was last edited by the player at 21:27, Fri 04 Mar 2016.

07:13, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 13 using 1d20+9. Taijutsu Defense.

The clones attempted to go after Nori and her clone, but could not keep up with their speed. Realizing this, they threw their kunai at Nori and her clone. One kunai managed to land on Nori's clone, but the other kunai missed wide. Sakuya could only brace herself as she felt the roundhouse kick connect to her side. She didn't even have time to cry out in pain as she was sent rolling on the ground.

Sakuya's clones rushed closer to protect her, with one closing the distance to Nori in close combat while the other held back to treat the injury to at least dull the pain. It still hurt a lot as Sakuya managed to get up to one knee. She held on long enough to activate her jutsu.

Water Release: Gloomy Rain

Those sensitive to chakra can sense Sakuya release a massive amount of chakra, with the clone beside her melting into a pool of water. Clouds gathered over the fighting area as a downpour began.

Now to hold out long enough for it to take effect... Sakuya thought as she now focused on defense while her remaining water clone kept Nori busy on a full offensive.

07:14, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 20 using 1d20+12.  Ninjutsu Attack.
ooc: time to test effect over time area jutsu. :)

[Private to Harusame Sakuya: OOC: Hey. Sorry for making you wait, Harusame >< I was otherwise occupied with something work related. It only said I was logged in because I didn't log out or close my tabs. I apologize.]

(( 18:44, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 27 using 1d20+10. Ninjutsu Defense. ))

Nori shifted her eyes over to her clone when she saw the kunai hit her and cause her to puff up in smoke, leaving her alone but that didn't matter. She did what she wanted to accomplish and made contact with Harusame, causing her opponent to roll across the ground. Looks like she didn't even need to finish off her move. Just one kick made her go down. She landed on her feet, crouching down as she saw one of her opponent's clones protect the real Harusame, while the other closed in on her. Just one of them wouldn't be hard to handle.

It was then that clouds began to appear above her head and it caused Nori to avert her eyes up towards the sky. "What the heck?" she muttered in a low tone. She looked back down towards the clone coming in towards her and then back to Harusame that was just standing there by herself. This must have been the attack she had been gearing up towards. Well, she wasn't just going to stand by and do nothing. She lightly scowled before she pushed herself off of her back foot and rushed towards the clone. Nori jumped up and pushed herself off of the clone's shoulder before she landed back on her feet. It looked as if Harusame was gearing up towards something big, so maybe she do one of the same.

Deciding on what she wanted to do, Nori made her way quickly towards Harusame. She couldn't let her opponent finish whatever preparations she had to do. She had to get her back down again. She curled her hand into a tight fist and pushed herself up from the ground from her right foot. "Strong Fist!" Nori pulled her fist further back and once she was close enough, she brought her fist down to make contact with Harusame's face.

(( 19:17, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 32 using 1d20+12. Taijutsu Attack. ))
This message was last edited by the player at 03:31, Wed 09 Mar 2016.

[Private to Yamada Nori: ooc: no worries. Was just worried since there might be a default thing if someone doesn't post after some time n__n).]

11:27, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 11 using 1d20+9.  Taijutsu Defense.

Sakuya tried to block the incoming punch Nori delivered with her arms, but was easily overpowered even if she managed to successfully keep her face from getting hit. Even if she enforced herself with chakra, Sakuya could feel the bones in her arms crack slightly under the pressure. She was blown back from the force, sending her lying with her back on the ground. It definitely hurt, but she could still move.

Overhead, the rain continued pouring harder. Nori would feel something unusual the longer the rain poured - as if she is getting tired sooner than usual. Sakuya isn't sure how effective her jutsu would be against a taijutsu practitioner since they don't rely on chakra as much as other specialists. At the least, she could draw on the chakra sapped off by the rain to restore her own strength.

With the amount of water in her surroundings, Sakuya decided to press for a more offensive approach. She uses her Binding Water Chains once again, this time sending the chains to pummel at Nori from all directions in addition to holding her in place.

11:28, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 27 using 1d20+12.  Ninjutsu Attack.

[Private to Harusame Sakuya: OOC: I'm sorry for making you worry. I am just in the process of looking for a new job, but I will try to be on more often.]

((19:53, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 29 using 1d20+10. Ninjutsu Defense.))

When Nori felt her fist make contact with Harusame's arms instead of her face, she watched her opponent be blown back and onto her back. She landed on her feet and crouched down. She wouldn't be surprised if she fractured the girl's bones from the pressure that she put on them with her fist. Making hand seals required the use of your hands and arms, so if she managed to cause any injuries to those vital parts of her body that made it a little bit harder, she would have a chance at winning this. Is was in the middle of that thought that the rain continued to pour down harder and it made her wonder just what it was that this was supposed to be doing. It did seem to make her muscles ache a little bit, but that could have been just because of how hard the rain was pouring and how cold it actually was.

Nori couldn't let a little rain hold her back. She trained in weather like this before, so it wasn't really an issue. She just knew that any ninjutsu's would prove to be ineffective at this point seeing as how the rain would just put out the flames immediately. She had to focus on her taijutsu that was proving to be more effective right now than anything else. Nori saw Harusame bring up her water chains again, but this time, they were surrounding her from all directions. She smirked before she jumped up and dodged the chains, causing them to crash together and miss her completely. Nori thought of what to do next and for a moment, she was considering on doing her attack that she hadn't completely perfected yet, but she thought she could definitely use that more at a point where Harusame was a little bit weaker. Right now, she needed to get her to that state. She dashed back towards the other girl with a determined expression on her face.

"Leaf Whirlwind!" she shouted and when she got close enough to Harusame, she crouched down slightly, extending her leg out, and doing a half-circle to take her opponent down with a low kick to her left leg.

(( 20:19, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 28 using 1d20+12.  Taijutsu Attack. ))

13:44, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 13 using 1d20+9.  Taijutsu Defense.

There is a definite look of unease in Sakuya's face as she saw how Nori managed to avoid the water chains she has unleashed, and proceeded to continue closing the gap between them. Sakuya attempted to bring the water chains up in hopes of barring Nori's path, but her concentration is spread across slowly healing herself and the pain - the result ending with the Konohagakure genin breaking through the water chains and knocking Sakuya off her feet once again.

Not yet... I can still fight... Sakuya thought, still feeling the chakra flowing into her from her opponent through the rain. There's still a few more seconds to go - she just has to hold out long enough to be the one standing.

The crack in her arms didn't hurt as much now, as long as Sakuya did not exert too much effort. With the help of her jutsu and healing techniques, she kept the damage dealt by Nori on her from getting too painful.

Maybe I should try this...! Sakuya thought as she invoked another jutsu. Nori is just in front of her and there's no time to get up. She could only hope there's enough to keep Nori from getting out.

A multitude of chains sprouted forth around Nori, forming a tall wall around her before coming down on her from all sides. Sakuya attempted at binding Nori with as much water chains as possible to fully immobilize and constrict her to the point of causing the latter to pass out. The Kumogakure genin could only hope her gambit would work, otherwise she would be wide open to whatever Nori has in store for her.

13:51, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 26 using 1d20+12.  Ninjutsu Attack.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 20:19, Wed 09 Mar 2016.

((11:41, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 24 using 1d20+10. Ninjutsu Defense. Unsuccessful.))

When Nori saw Harusame go back down when she delivered that low kick to her leg, she smirked. However, she knew her opponent would only be down temporary, so she had to keep up the momentum. She couldn't falter, but at the same time, she knew she had to slow down to regain a little bit of her energy at a time. For some reason, the aching in her muscles wasn't really going away. It was making her feel fatigued. It was weird. She had felt fine before this rain even started. Could this have been something to deliberately drain her energy? Nori shook her head. How could that be possible? Could rain actually do that? She wouldn't put it past Harusame, though. She couldn't underestimate her and her abilities. She had to endure this.

Nori was slowly making her way around and back up to her feet, but it was then that Harusame brought her chains of water back up to surround her again. She attempted to move out of the way in time before they could surround her, but even she knew with as close as she was to the other girl in proximity, she couldn't escape it. She was going to be entrapped again, so just before she got back up to her feet, she quickly made a few quick hand signs. "Clone jutsu!" she shouted before she was quickly bound by the chains from her neck down. From behind Harusame, two of the three of Nori's clones came up to her. One flash stepped and disappeared, reappearing in front of the other girl while the other stayed behind the female opponent. "Leaf Whirlwind!" the clones said in unison before they both attempted to deliver both a high and low roundhouse kick to Harusame's lower back and legs.

((12:17, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 18 using 1d20+12. Taijutsu Attack.))
This message was last edited by the player at 20:18, Wed 09 Mar 2016.

06:49, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 29 using 1d20+9.  Taijutsu Defense.

A breath of relief escaped Sakuya's lips as she saw Nori finally caught and fully restrained by her water chains. However, there is still the question of how to deal with the clones the Konohagakure genin invoked and are attacking her. It was a good thing that Sakuya had remained prone on the ground, allowing her a better view around her and spot both of them approaching from different sides.

Invoking her Water Shield jutsu with additional chakra taken from her opponent, Sakuya had it shaped like a dome around her to block the incoming attacks at the same time. At this point the rain has finally stopped, and the clouds are parting to reveal the original weather for the day. Sakuya figured she needed something decisive to end this battle in her favor.

The Kumogakure medic-in-training only had one jutsu she could use offensively - the Binding Water Chains jutsu. Jhinsokyo has instructer her on its potential for attacks and she is now testing how far it can be done. Now she invoked it once more with her Water Shield as the base, causing water chains to fly out in an attempt to smack down the clones. In addition to that, Sakuya figured she could attempt to add more bindings to seal Nori's use of her mouth and fingers. It required more control compared to flailing the chains about, but Sakuya had to finish the match now she does not have any extra supply of chakra to go about and has to rely on her own supply.

06:49, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 21 using 1d20+12.  Ninjutsu Attack.

((22:39, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 11 using 1d20+10. Ninjutsu Defense. Unsuccessful.))

Nori had looked onward as she saw her clones try to make contact with Harusame with their Leaf Whirlwind attack, but it all but failed when she saw her opponent make a water barrier around in a dome like shape to protect herself. It caused her to scowl and for the clones to back away from the other girl. "Dammit," she muttered to herself in a low voice before she felt the rain stop, causing her to lift her head up and look at the sky as it began to clear up. Hmm...she wondered. She hadn't really seen her opponent deliver any really solid attacks aside from these water chains that did prove to be effective. However, they only seemed to be more of a defensive attack so that she could think of her next move. Nori looked back down to the girl in front of her, slowing wiggling her fingers as she saw the chains take out her clones and come back for her.

She looked down to her fingers and then back up to Harusame. There was no way she could physically make contact with her, but she could do an attack from this distance. Or she could have her clones do it for her. It had stopped raining after all. Before her hands were sealed up by the water chains, she quickly made a few hand seals that would allow her to create a few more of her own clones. Nori knew she wanted to do. She needed to break her opponent's concentration, so she could only hope that this attack worked. For a few moments, there was silence and the sound of feet approaching from each side of Harusame could be heard. "Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire!" her clones shouted and soon enough, a massive array of fireballs were coming towards the other girl. The fireballs were controlled specifically by chakra, so Nori knew that she had to keep that under control. She couldn't afford to waste too much of that.

((23:23, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 18 using 1d20+8. Ninjutsu Attack.))

15:53, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 14 using 1d20+11.  Ninjutsu Defense.

Sakuya could be best described as impressed that Nori could still hold out this long while having called forth a number of clones - especially solid ones that could deliver hits. Was this the fabled Kage Bunshin no Jutsu? It may not be the same thing, since that one uses up a great amount of chakra the more clones were sent out. Nori would have already been worn out by now if she was using Kage Bunshin all this time.

The Kumogakure girl braced herself as the fireballs peppered the water shield she brought up. Steam burst forth on her position as she kept her focus on at least sustaining the chains that kept Nori restrained. Burn marks were visible were her clothes were hit by the fireballs, but a look of determination is still evident on her face.

"If it is a battle of endurance we are going for, I have no intention of losing!" Sakuya cried out as she infused another good portion of her chakra to increase the water chains around Nori until she is completely wrapped up in restraining water. Without even realizing it, Sakuya had used her Binding Water Chains to a form similar to the Water Cage jutsu.

With the amount of chakra she put into the water chains, Sakuya is confident enough that they will hold for a few minutes even if she were knocked out. She was now standing on one knee from her prone position, beginning to feel the shortness of her breath due to the amount of chakra she has to expend on such short notice. Sakuya hoped this would be sufficient to keep her opponent from executing any more attacks.

15:54, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 31 using 1d20+12.  Ninjutsu Attack.

[Private to Harusame Sakuya: OOC: Sorry for not posting yesterday :( I wasn't in the best of moods to be posting.]

((10:01, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 24 using 1d20+10. Ninjutsu Defense. Unsuccessful.))

Nori knew she couldn't last sending out clones like this in her place. She only had so much chakra built up and it honestly was draining her a little bit. She was happy that the fireballs managed to make contact with Harusame, but they weren't fully effective due to that water shield she had brought up around her to protect herself. "Damn," she lowly growled. She needed to wipe that thing out, but just how strong was that shield? It was only made of water, but that didn't mean its defense capabilities were weak. Fire just wasn't going to cut it, but what other choice did she have? There wasn't a way she could make contact with Harusame unless that shield was down.

Nori could see that determined look upon her opponent's face and hear it in her voice as she declared she wasn't going to lose. In all honesty, she wasn't all that hurt herself, but she knew that the other girl was getting worn down. She could just tell by her posture. The only thing that was pestering Nori at this point was these stupid chains and it certainly didn't help when Harusame wrapped even more of those chains around her, causing her to grit her teeth. She had to do something. She couldn't just stand here. She didn't have much of a choice but to use that fire attack again. She could only hope that it proved effective in weakening the shield that surrounded her opponent. Nori looked over towards one of her clones, who stared back at her, and she just gave her a nod. The clone looked away from her and jumped back a few steps before looking in Harusame's direction. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" she called out before she expelled a roaring orb of flame from her mouth that was sent towards her opponent.

((10:16, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 19 using 1d20+8. Ninjutsu Attack.))

08:04, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 31 using 1d20+11.  Ninjutsu Defense.

Sakuya invoked another water shield up to protect herself, thankful now that Nori does not use Lightning-based techniques. The clones are definitely a nuisance she has to take out quickly now she has Nori pinned down. Water chains flung forth at the clones in an attempt to take them out as Sakuya closed in beside the bound Nori with a kunai in her hand.

"Please declare your surrender, Yamada-san," Sakuya said to Nori as she gently let the tip of her kunai touch at the chained genin's neck, "This kunai is pointed at one of your major arteries. With the way the chains have wrapped tightly around you, a cut to the artery would result in squeezing your blood out through the wound. You can die from the resulting blood loss if that happens and medical attention was not given immediately."

With that, Sakuya added a little more pressure against Nori's neck. It's not enough to break skin yet, but she could easily make a cut should Nori attempt to resist.

08:05, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 24 using 1d20+12.  Ninjutsu Attack.

((18:15, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 11 using 1d20+10. Ninjutsu Defense.))

When the clones saw Harusame bring up another water shield to protect herself, it caused the fireball attack to prove ineffective. The clones lowly growled and jumped back away from the girl, but the chains took them out. Nori was pissed, but her gaze remained unwavered. It was then, though, that she felt the tip of a kunai pressed to her neck and it caused her eyes to flick off to the right to look at her opponent. She just stared at her before she smirked. "Thanks for the offer, Harusame-chan, but I'm afraid that I'm going to have to decline. See as much as I want this match to be over and done with, I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. This is just a little obstacle in my way, but just wait till I get out of these chains..." she said as she turned her head slightly to look at Harusame. "...because you aren't going to like it."

And with those last words said, Nori found her chance to strike. "Strong fist!" a voice called out from beside them before her last clone came up and aimed a fist at the side of Harusame's head. She didn't know if she'd make contact, but the least she could do was get the girl away from Nori.

((18:39, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 13 using 1d20+12. Taijutsu Attack.))
This message was last edited by the player at 03:20, Sat 12 Mar 2016.

12:56, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 15 using 1d20+9.  Taijutsu Defense.

Sakuya had already figured Nori's answer even before she had asked. It was definitely that of resistance as the clone came for her with a swinging fist. Sakuya directed the water shield to block the attack, with the shield now smaller after losing water from the fireball attack earlier.

"I guess that does not leave me much choice..." Sakuya replied, her hand still steady with her kunai. She has warned Nori, now there was no turning back. Sakuya had to do this to proceed.

The cut itself wasn't painful. It was quick and precise. It did aim right for the artery to cause the most bleeding at the immobile Nori. Sakuya did not avert her eyes upon seeing that the cut had started to bleed. She is somehow used to seeing that from helping her parents in their clinic and during the previous chuunin exams in their country.

With a swift hand motion, Sakuya then motioned for the chains to tighten around Nori. She's forcing the Konohagakure genin to struggle and exert herself, which would cause the bleeding to flow faster. Sakuya remained close by her opponent's side while she keeps an eye for the clone that is still active. At the first sign of her opponent losing consciousness, she could at least be there immediately to administer first aid. The Kumogakure genin may have every intention of proceeding to the finals, but she has no intention of letting someone die if she could do something about it.

13:02, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 18 using 1d20+12.  Ninjutsu Attack.

((22:09, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 24 using 1d20+10. Ninjutsu Defense. Successful.))

Upon feeling the cut to her neck, Nori could instantly feel the blood start to slide down her throat. She growled and gulped soundlessly. This wasn't good. If she didn't do something fast, she could bleed out and then it would really be over. She wouldn't be able to move on. She looked up to her team in the stands and then back down to Harusame. She had noticed the way the water shield had blocked her clone's attack, but she had also noticed that it was growing smaller, which could only mean that it was growing weaker. It wouldn't last much longer, but then again, neither could she. She had to end this thing quick before she lost all of her blood and her consciousness, which meant that she only had a matter of minutes. Nori gritted her teeth and used her head to hit against Harusame's to get the girl away from her and drop her kunai.

"I'm...a lot stronger than I look...Harusame...san... I won't go down so easily..." she uttered before she gulped again. "It's funny...you can't even...use a real attack against me...to win... I think... a part of you knows...I'm tougher than you are...so you are taking the easy...way out and using a kunai... You are a coward..." She couldn't exert herself by talking so much or else she would bleed out faster. She had to penetrate that shield and cause it to break. It was only water, but that shield wasn't as strong as it used to be. It was weaker. Nori turned her head slightly and looked at her clone, who was awaiting for a command. She just stared into her eyes before giving her a nod. The clone looked to Harusame and jumped away from her before she brought up her hands and did her hands seals for her next attack. "Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire!" she called out before a massive array of fireballs were sent in Harusame's direction. However, instead of just going straightforward, they spread out to hit the water shield from all angles as well as those water chains, but that wasn't all. Inside each fireball, shuriken were hidden for a surprise attack. Harusame wouldn't be able to avoid them all. It would be quite difficult.

((22:34, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 20 using 1d20+8. Ninjutsu Attack.))

14:52, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 14 using 1d20+11.  Ninjutsu Defense.

Sakuya reeled back from the surprise headbutt, bringing a hand up to the spot on her head that was bruised from the hit. She still managed to hold on to her kunai, having learned to keep a good grip on her tools when it comes to defending herself.

"Go ahead and call me anything you like!" Sakuya retorted as she brought up what remained of the water shield that was used for defending earlier. She did not move away from her position, instead keeping close to the ground to maintain a smaller profile against the shower of attacks. The shield eventually gave out against the flames, with shurikens making their way towards her. She could only manage to take down most that were going for her head and body, but those aimed at the arms and legs made their cut and grazes and leaving stinging sensations for her chakra to slowly numb and heal.

She remembered how some of her classmates back in the academy would make fun of her for not learning techniques mean for attack. She would find some comfort from her teacher then, as well as from her parents, assurance that there is no hurry to do so. What is important is knowing her priorities and protecting things that are of great value to her.

"This fight is scary, but I am still here, am I not!?" Sakuya exclaimed at Nori, standing up once again and then invoking her Wind Running technique on herself to make her body lighter and easier to move. Tears have welled up a little around her eyes as she did her best to hold back from the injuries that have been inflicted on her.

"If you can't tell how the battle is faring then don't expect the answer from me!" the young genin added as she moved to a defensive posture. Most of the water chains holding Nori in place have come off from the scattered attack that was unleashed, but there were still a number holding on and following Sakuya's command of squeezing the Konohagakure genin for all their worth.

Sakuya sent off another volley of water chains at Nori and her clone. At the same time, she is silently counting the seconds. She knew that the wound she inflicted on Nori becomes more and more dangerous as time passes without treatment. The fact that her opponent is forcing herself in this fight makes it even worse - Sakuya had added that into consideration to her counting for Nori's time limit.

14:53, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 19 using 1d20+12.  Ninjutsu Attack.

((01:44, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 12 using 1d20+10. Ninjutsu Defense. Unsuccessful.))

Nori was thankful that she at least managed to get Harusame away from her when she butted her head against her. At least she couldn't her anymore. Not that the wound she had already wasn't doing its own damage. She only had a matter of minutes, but she wasn't about to give up this fight. When she saw the clone manage to take out the shield and cut her opponent with the shuriken, she smiled. At least the attack managed to get that shield down, which was what she had hoped for. Nori knew her ninjutsu attacks weren't the strongest because her taijutsu was more style, so they proved to be more effective. Now that she was going to get that opportunity, well at least her clone would, she could deal some damage. This girl wasn't going down easy, but then again, she never expected her to. But she knew the girl was also getting weaker herself, so it was anyone's game at this point.

"I really am glad...that you are still fighting...Harusame-san... I wanted your best...and you're...giving that to me... You're pretty brave for that..." she replied and gulped again before she saw felt some of the chains come off of her, releasing some of that pressure from around her. One of them being from around her arm. Nori brought up a shaky hand and pressed it against the wound on her neck before she started to cough again. However, it didn't take too long for her opponent to bring those chains back and wrap back around her. Well, at least she would be putting pressure against the wound. She looked towards her clone that had managed to get grazed by Harusame's chain, but still made her way towards her opponent. "Leaf Rising Wind!" she shouted. She flashed stepped towards Harusame and bent down low in front of her, attempting to deliver a round house kick to her legs, which would lead to her delivering a few hard punches and kicking her high up into the air.

((02:03, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 19 using 1d20+12. Taijutsu Attack.))
This message was last edited by the player at 05:13, Mon 14 Mar 2016.

[Private to Yamada Nori: Cut wasn't deep enough to puncture the throat. Only enough that Nori's artery is bleeding from the outside.]

18:30, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 28 using 1d20+9.  Taijutsu Defense.

There was still plenty of water to work with from the arena, and Sakuya made use of it to immediately summon a wall of water chains to interrupt Nori's kick. She still can't get the rhythm of Nori's movements right, but she could at least guess where one attack would usually go by now.

"You should stop now, Yamada-san..." Sakuya said solemnly as she wiped the tears welling in her eyes with the torn sleeve of her jacket, "Pushing yourself too hard is going to make the bleeding worse. I intentionally cut only at the artery and avoided damaging anything past that and your skin..."

With that, the chains then wrap around Nori once again. However, the Konohagakure this time was forcefully slammed with her back against the ground.

"If you let the bleeding continue long enough, paramedics are going to have a hard time to have you recover," Sakuya said as she sat on the ground to rest herself, "Your village and mine may have superior medical ninjas, including my parents. But every time wasted not properly treating that wound of yours will bring you closer to death. I don't want that to happen, and will treat that wound of yours if you only agree to surrender now."

Seeing that her opponent would not give up on her own, Sakuya figured she should at least explain her assessment of Nori's condition. Will it be convincing enough? Sakuya hoped so. She felt that if it were not for this fight, they might be able to meet on better terms.

18:30, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 31 using 1d20+12.  Ninjutsu Attack.

[Private to Harusame Sakuya: OOC: Hey! Thanks for catching that. I just thought with a wound like that, she maybe be coughing up a little blood. I'll be sure to change it after this post!]

((21:43, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 22 using 1d20+10. Ninjutsu Defense. Unsuccessful.))

The attempt to get Harusame down to the ground had failed and Nori cursed under her breath at yet another failed attempt. She knew she couldn't have her clone doing this for very much longer. For her, attacks proved to be more effective when she was the one delivering them. Her clone could only do so much for her. "I suppose you think I should be grateful to you for sparing me," she said before she felt the chains wrap around her again and slam her onto her back on the ground, causing her to grunt and let out a cough from the wind that was knocked out of her. She turned slightly onto her side and put more pressure on her neck wound.

"Harusame-san, I am sure that, like me, you have always worked very hard to get to this point. I have trained so much from morning until night. I have trained until my hands bled. I have trained to the point of exhaustion. I know what it is like to push myself to the breaking point and this little wound isn't going to stop me from doing what I need to do to make it to the next round. This is not just an exam to me. This is a time for me to prove to myself and my team that I can do this. That I'm not weak. I will not give up, do you understand me?!" Nori exclaimed and turned her eyes to look at Harusame. "I'd rather die than go back to my village with my head hung in defeat. I will go with my head held high and have pride in what I have accomplished. You want to do the same, don't you? Why not truly fight me like these exams intended and give it all you got? What satisfaction are you getting by just wrapping me up in these chains and sitting there? Fight me!"

In saying that, Nori's clone appeared behind Harusame. "Strong Fist!" she exclaimed as her curled up fist attempted to come into contact with the side of her opponent's head.

((22:11, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 18 using 1d20+12. Taijutsu Attack.))

13:34, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 36 using 1d20+21.  Taijutsu Focused Defense.

"Fighting isn't the only thing ninjas are supposed to do!" Sakuya replied as she willed a wall of water chains around her, interrupting the incoming fist swung by Nori's clone. The chains have also caught the clone that had been consistently striking at her and was pinned to the floor.

"A ninja should be able to gauge the situation and act accordingly," Sakuya said as she continued to observe Nori, "Are there changes in the situation? Are there reinforcements in the enemy forces? Strength alone can't handle everything."

"Are you hoping that by pressing on like this, a miracle will happen?" Sakuya asked as continued to count mentally, "That somehow you could pull a miracle off and turn things around? If that is the case, then you would have already beaten me a few minutes ago."

"I'm not a fighter like you," Sakuya said as she looked to the clone, making sure that the chains would hold it in place, "I don't possess as much physical strength compared to the others, neither do I possess the speed most ninjas of my age have. My techniques revolve around making sure people stay alive, so people important to them will be assured of their return."

[Private to Yamada Nori: No attack here, dedicated all rolls to simply defending.]

Nori simply stayed in place on the ground, seeing her clone also pinned to the floor by Harusame's chains. Well, this was proving to be difficult. She couldn't help but wonder if the strength of her clone's attacks were weakened because of her own state. None of the attacks she had to seemed to have been working. She couldn't give up, though. She just couldn't. She had to get to the next stage. She just listened to the other girl speak and said nothing at first. Just stayed silent and looked up at the sky. "You think you have it all figured out, don't you? You, a person that only prides herself on protecting herself, can never understand a person like me," she said and closed her eyes. "If you feel that your purpose in life is to help keep people alive, then why the hell are you here? What do you have to prove by being here, Harusame-san? I have everything to prove by taking part in these exams. Since I was a kid, I've had to prove myself. I've had to work hard and push myself to be the best I could be. I am sure that you have felt that same way by trying to do your best to help people. You want to protect the hearts of the families who have someone out there fighting and bring back their loved ones safely, right? Well, I...I have things I need to protect, too."

Nori turned herself back onto her back before she mustered up the strength to actually sit up and stare into Harusame's eyes. "My parents faced hardship because of me and have been trying to make a better life for me, even though it hasn't been the easiest thing. They worked hard for everything they have built and I...I need to protect that. I need to protect them and what they built, but you...you are preventing me from doing that, Harusame-san," she said. "Fighting for me is more than just throwing punches at each other. It's more than finding out who is the strongest. I've done nothing, but fight my whole life because it's who I am. If I let an injury like this get the best of me, then I might as well go back to my village with my tail between my legs. I am not going to admit defeat to you because you are telling me to. I'm a fighter just like my parents are fighters, so I'm asking you as a person that has something or someone to protect, please let me out of these chains so I can fight again. I need to go back knowing that even if I do fail these exams, that I put in all I got and that I didn't give up."

[Private to Harusame Sakuya: Couldn't really find a way to attack yet since Nori and her clone are pinned down ><]
This message was last edited by the player at 22:34, Mon 14 Mar 2016.

Sakuya let out a sigh as she listened to Nori explain her story. The medic-in-training would admit she felt sorry for the circumstances that led to why Nori is here now, but feeling sorry for the opponent is not something one can leisurely do when in a mission or if war comes. She lets the water chains binding the clone tighten to the point it forces the clone to pop, then carefully approached Nori and steering clear from her head. The taijutsu-using genin could still use her fire-based ninjutsu and it would be difficult to deal with up close.

"If I let you out, doesn't that invalidate what I have worked hard for up to this point, Yamada-san?" Sakuya asked as she soon sat down behind Nori. With a manipulation of her chakra, Sakuya willed the chains to force Nori to sit cross-legged with arms to her side. One of the chains wrapped around Nori's torso pulls her a bit forward to keep the girl from getting any slack.

"So are you fine losing your life right here, Yamada-san?" Sakuya asked Nori in all seriousness that she could muster, "Is it that easy to throw your life on the line and say that the only way you know how to live is to fight?"

"That cut on your neck is not a minor wound," Sakuya added as she took her kunai out, "My water chains won't cover that wound - it would be like bleeding underwater. That wound is on your artery, a major path for your blood from your heart to other parts of the body. If you continue to fight and struggle, your heart will beat harder, and that wound will bleed even more."

"Is winning this battle in the chuunin exam worth dying for, Yamada-san?" Sakuya asked as she pointed her kunai against Nori's back, "If you lose here and still live, wouldn't that mean you have another chance at participating the chuunin exam with more experience and skill? If you die right here, would you still be able to become a chuunin afterward?"

Sakuya doesn't know why she would ask these kinds of questions towards Nori. Maybe it was seeing those who were not as lucky in the past chuunin exams that brought memories to her mind. When the time comes, will she have to decide who to save and who to forsake? She pushes such thoughts aside for the moment. She could ask such questions later from her sensei.

"If you become a chuunin, that means there will be genin following your orders some day," Sakuya spoke up after a brief pause, "Are you going to ask them to fight to the death too? Or will you decide to fight to the death to hold back a foe that is stronger than you so those under your care can escape? If you end up in a mission dealing with someone you can't win against, what will you do?"

Sakuya mentally admitted these are thoughts that bothered her as well when chuunin exams approached, and have set such thoughts aside in the hopes of dealing with them when the exams are over. She felt she was being mean, pressing her own worries against her opponent. Maybe she was hoping for answers for such questions, to see if there is anyone here who worried of the same things as she did.

"I am not undermining your abilities, Harusame-san. I have no doubt that you worked just as hard to get to this point, but what is it exactly that you are trying to accomplish by being in these exams? Surely you know what kind of exams they are, don't you? Do you think that even if you get past this point, that you won't have to fight genin that are even stronger than I am? What are you going to do then? Chain them up, too? I guarantee you that they won't go easy on you," Nori told Harusame before she was forced to sit cross legged with her arms at her side. She just stayed silent as the girl continued to talk and ask her all these questions. She lightly sighed.

"I already told you before, didn't I? To me, I'd rather die from this wound than to give up on something I have worked extremely hard for. You only think of these exams as just an exam, but to me, they are worth much more than that and I am not about to tell you over and over again about what passing these exams means to me. If you really think these exams are just a way to throw your life away and fight for nothing more than to becoming a chunnin, then you shouldn't be here because every single one of us here has something to prove. If not to others, than to themselves. It's pride, Harusame-san. It's not all about failing and coming back to take them again next year. To someone like me and I'm sure to others here today, if you fail these exams once, then you might as well never come back." She closed her eyes and just grew silent. She tightened her fists at her sides.

"I have had sensei's in my life that have taught me many things since I was a kid. I trusted them. I looked up to them. I respected them. They have helped me get to where I am today. I have had teammates that have encouraged me and helped me grow stronger not just as a ninja, but as a person. I can't say that I have had much influence on them in return, but part of me hopes that I have. The kind of team I have...there are still things that we are learning about each other and sometimes we don't always get along, but we help each other in our own ways. I truly believe we are helping each other grow and if I were to have a team like that some day, I would want them to inherit the values I learned from my own team as a genin. To have respect for each other. To work together as a team. To never give up even when it seems like things are impossible. You can't accomplish anything just on your own. The world doesn't really work like that." Nori turned her head slightly and looked back at Harusame behind her. "I want to grow stronger. I want to protect them. And if it ever came down to me dying for them to continue living and becoming stronger, I think that would be a sacrifice worth paying. After all, they are my friends and my family." Nori leaned in just a little closer to Harusame and looked her dead in the eyes. "So if you aren't going to let me out of these chains and kick your ass, than you might as well let me die right here because I'm not admitting defeat to you or anyone else."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:22, Tue 15 Mar 2016.

".... Fine..." Sakuya replied as she sighed and finally stood up, taking a leap back before activating the technique used for the water chains, "It looks like you won't listen even if a Kage or a god would explain it to you, so I'll stop talking."

The chains pulled Nori up, raising her high into the air for as much as Sakuya could manage. Once reaching the highest point, the chains suddenly pull the bound genin downwards in an attempt to slam her hard against the ground. Sakuya continued to pay attention to Nori's condition, at the same time glancing towards their referee to see how far she should press her attack.

09:26, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 39 using 1d20+23.  Ninjutsu Focused Attack.

[Private to Harusame Sakuya: Hey! Was curious to see if the ninjutsu/taijutsu focused attacks/defenses you have been using give you higher rolls? I just notice how you have been adding points in the 20 range to get higher rolls. Wasn't sure if that was because they are focused attacks/defenses or not. Haha.]

((18:53, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 27 using 1d20+10. Ninjutsu Defense.))

Nori had thought for a moment that Harusame was going to release her or at least loosen the chains from around her when she had stopped talking, but all she did was jump back and raise her up from the ground. She just looked down at her before he she felt herself brought down towards the ground. She closed her eyes and prepared herself for impact before she hit the ground. She began to cough and wiggled her fingers within the chains. She needed to get her hands together somehow. These chains didn't seem to be as tight as they were before, so maybe she could... Nori slowly strained her hands towards each other and even though it was difficult, she managed to at least get a few hand seals in.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" she exclaimed before she pulled her head back slightly and expelled a large fireball from her mouth towards Harusame.

[Private to Yamada Nori: Was trying to think of what to do, so I just did a fireball attack. Lol. Not sure if it'll work.]

((19:09, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 21 using 1d20+8. Ninjutsu Attack.))

[Private to Yamada Nori: They are indeed focused attacks/defense, figured I should just go all out on attacking and seeing where that leads us. :P]

No defense

Sakuya did not move away when the fireball came. The heat was really painful, but is still bearable due to the training she was put through for the past weeks. She focused instead on knocking Nori out forcefully with her technique. The chains swung Nori around in the air, this time doing circles to build up momentum before slamming her hard on the ground once again.

11:02, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 40 using 1d20+23.  Ninjutsu Focused Attack.

[Private to Harusame Sakuya: OOC: Oh okay. I thought so. I'm just wondering, how are you adding 20+ points to your rolls? 'cause I don't know if I'll be able to efficiently have successful attacks/defenses because my rolls are most likely going to be much lower than yours every time. Are you getting those points because they are focused attacks/defenses, so the points are higher? Was a bit confused, so I wanted to ask. Lol. Oh! And for your water chains, are they mainly just binding her ankles and wrists? Probably should have asked that sooner :P I ask because I wanted to see if there was a way for Nori to be mobile enough to use any kind of taijutsu. Still trying to figure out if there is a way to break the chains.]

((20:56, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 18 using 1d20+10. Ninjutsu Defense. Unsuccessful.))

Nori couldn't help but wonder just why Harusame didn't bother defending herself and just let the fireball hit her. Wasn't her primary defense that water shield of her's? She saw that it wasn't as effective as she thought, but at least it hit her, right? "Damn," she muttered under her breath before she felt herself swung around in the air and slammed hard into the ground. It knocked the wind out of her that caused her to turn onto her side and start to catch her breath. Last time she was able to break these chains, she used her fireball attack. Maybe it would work again. Instead of aiming her attack at Harusame, she could instead, aim them at the chains and see if the explosion would be good enough to break them again.

Nori slowly turned herself onto her back, using all the strength she could muster into sitting up and bringing her hands together again. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" she exclaimed before she gathered what chakra she could and tilted her head back before she aimed her fireball towards the base of where the chains were coming from and hoping they would break.

((21:19, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 16 using 1d20+8. Ninjutsu Attack.))
This message was last edited by the player at 04:20, Wed 16 Mar 2016.

[Private to Yamada Nori: According to my question to the GM, you can give up on the other roll and add it instead to the roll you are focusing on, thus I added both for Attack and Defense rolls. Admittedly some tweaking may be needed for it considering how high the rolls can go in the process.

As for how Nori is bound, I intend it to be legs bound together and arms tied to the sides with the chains wrapped tightly around Nori from the neck down. The intention was to keep Nori from executing her taijutsu after all. :P]

No defense

Another fireball attack straight ahead, and Sakuya held her ground despite the roaring flames and explosion. The ribbon holding her hair in place was blown and burned away, while her jacket is already in tatters showing a pink shirt underneath. Edges of her skirt were burnt as well.

Sakuya has started feeling short on breath as she continued to Nori into the air and then slam her against the ground with the water chains. Nori should have lost a great deal of blood by now, and that would be fatal if she goes past two-thirds of the amount lost.

That does not mean Sakuya possessed an advantage, however, despite having drained a portion of Nori's chakra and currently beating the latter relentlessly with her water chains. There are minor fractures in her bones, the reason why she didn't want to move too much after receiving hits. Strenuous action would worsen her injuries, and such injuries would take some time to recover even if treated by the best medical ninjas available. Sakuya could also feel her chakra reserves beginning to run out, but at least the chains infused with her chakra will be able to hold Nori in place for about three more minutes even if she finally exhausts her supply.

All Sakuya can do now is focus on knocking Nori repeatedly against the ground in the hopes that the accumulated damage and blood loss would start settling in for her opponent.

13:59, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 31 using 1d20+23.  Ninjutsu Focused Attack.

[Private to Harusame Sakuya: OOC: Ohhhh right right. Gotcha! That makes a lot more sense to me. I was like 'How am I supposed to be that roll if it's so high. I might actually focus on the attacking part then since Nori can't really use anything to defend herself since she is bound.

And thank you for clarifying! I'm not having much luck with breaking the chains. I actually thought breaking the chains would have worked with that last attack since you didn't use any defense >< ]

No defense

Nori had to commend Harusame for being able to withstand her flames like she did. However, the goal she had in mind was for these chains to break and she wasn't having much luck in doing that. She knew she needed to, though, or else she would never get out of these stupid things. However, she could really only do one attack at the moment because the others required her to use her hands. She felt herself brought back into the air again before she was pulled back down to the ground with force. She turned onto her side again and began to cough from the wind being knocked out of her once more. Nori started to pant heavily as her eyes narrowed in on Harusame.

Just by the look of her opponent, she could tell that the other girl was short on breath and it was most likely because she was exhausting her chakra on these water chains that she was using. Nori could feel her own chakra draining and the blood loss she was experiencing right now wasn't helping, either. She felt exhausted, but that didn't mean she couldn't keep going. Sure she was going to be experiencing a lot of pain afterwards, but she would deal with that later. If Harusame could only wear herself down a bit more, than there was a chance her chains would break. She couldn't have a whole lot of strength left in her arms after she had had inflicted some damage to her with her Strong Fist jutsu. She was actually surprised her opponent could withstand the pain of putting so much pressure on her arms like that by flinging her around like this. Even if the chains did break, though, Nori wondered if she would even have enough strength left to do any kind of taijutsu attacks. She had to try, though. For now, there was this one attack she could still do, so she would do it until she couldn't do it anymore.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" she exclaimed again before she mustered up the chakra within her and although the flame wasn't great, she aimed it at the source of where the chains were coming from in hopes of breaking them.

((00:19, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 22 using 1d20+18. Ninjutsu Focused Attack.))

No defense

Yet another fireball attack. Sakuya found herself falling to one knee after the attack and slowly taking deep breaths. She had to hold her breath whenever the fireball is about to make contact in order to avoid the fire affecting her breathing, but even this is proving difficult. The air around her is painfully hot, but she didn't have the strength left to move away from where she is now.

Keeping the jutsu active isn't that difficult once it is already up. Similar to the Shadow Bind technique, continuous techniques meant one only has to hold the position to keep the effect active. With how Sakuya infused her technique with her chakra, she doesn't have to keep holding the hand signs but simply make sure the chains have a supply of chakra from her.

That leaves her with another problem with Nori's continuous fireball attacks - water surrounding Sakuya has already dried up. Sakuya figured that leaves the water chains with a few more minutes to hold out as it slams Nori against the ground with increasing force.

15:46, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 37 using 1d20+23.  Ninjutsu Focused Attack.

No defense

Nori watched as Harusame took the damage of her fireball jutsu and got down onto one knee. She slowly closed her mouth and started to pant as she stared the girl down. She gulped soundlessly and let out a few small coughs. Well, the chains may not have been broken but there was one thing that came out that looked positive and that was that the water that sustained those chains had dried up. They couldn't last much longer without it, could they? She felt herself lifted up from the ground and brought back down with a little bit more force from the last time. Nori gasped for air and started to breath heavily. She could do this. She needed to do this. After regaining her breathing just a little bit, she opened her mouth once more. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" she exclaimed in a hoarse voice before she summoned up a flame and expelled it in Harusame's direction.

((10:34, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 25 using 1d20+18. Ninjutsu Focused Attack.))

GM Note: Nori is suffering blood loss. She could possibly bleed out. Either end this fight quickly, or Nori may have to surrender.

No defense

Sakuya gasped for air after bracing through another fireball. Her eyes barely open and stinging from the dryness, sweat covered her face and body from the immense heat she is subjected to. She could barely support herself, but still managed to maintain focus for the binding water chains. All this while she was thinking - something must be done to keep Nori from landing another blow on her.

With that, Sakuya directed the chains to face Nori away from her. She then directed the chains to send her opponent face down on the ground in the hopes that it would be the last time she has to subject Nori to such attacks.

10:29, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 41 using 1d20+23.  Ninjutsu Focused Attack.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 10:24, Thu 17 Mar 2016.

No defense

Nori closed her mouth and began to catch her breath as she watched Harusame barely able to support herself after her attack. 'Damn. Those stupid chains are persistent,' she thought silently to herself. Those chains didn't loosen up one bit. She didn't think they would last much longer, but then again...she didn't think that she would, either. She closed her eyes before she suddenly felt herself turned away face down from her opponent. Nori felt that she had at least one more attack left inside her before she passed out from blood loss. 'Let's give it...one more shot...' In saying that, she mustered up what strength she had left before she turned her head slightly and looked back at Harusame. "Fire style: Fireball Jutsu!" she called out before opening her mouth and mustered up what chakra she had left to deliver a fireball in her opponent's direction.

((18:29, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 19 using 1d20+18. Ninjutsu Focused Attack.))

No defense

Sakuya had not expected Nori to push herself like that, and could only brace herself for the incoming attack. She soon found herself falling on to her back after the explosion, hurting all over from exposure to high temperature. With the amount of chakra she has already spent, her body refused to listen to her thoughts of getting back up.

Not good... Is this already my limit? Sakuya thought as she tried to raise an arm to get herself up, but could only manage to wince in response to the pain coursing up her arm. It does not look like she could continue fighting at this point. She won't be able to help Nori either at this point, making it more dangerous to leave the latter hanging out for longer.

"... I concede the match..." Sakuya finally said as loud as she could. She looked like she could cry at any moment as she declared her concession, but was trying to hold it in.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:27, Wed 23 Mar 2016.

Sima simply nodded his head as the match took a sudden turn. He couldn't be more proud of his student though. She had planned it well, from start to finish and almost had it, but the last second was just a screw up and it happened. He waited a few moments to allow Sakuya to get back up, but once she spoke the words he needed to hear, he stepped forward, facing the others within the arena. "Harusame Sakuya is unable to continue this match. Yamada Nori wins this preliminary round," he announced and just smiled at Nori. He looked down at Sakuya and kneeled by her side. "I am a very proud sensei. You put up one hell of a fight, you know. You almost had it," he told her, being utterly honestly to her to make her feel better. He could see the sadness in her eyes; the kind of sadness that came when you felt like your dreams were taken away. "There is always next time. These exams happen twice a year. You'll get your shot then. You will shine and it will be my job to make sure of that," he added. He looked over her injuries, seeing her arms had taken some heavy impact from earlier. He figured she had some fractures and it would be awhile until she would be okay. He helped her up carefully and waved some medical Jonin to treat her as quickly as possible.

When Nori released that last fireball, she thought that was it. Even if she had wanted to continue on, she knew she couldn't. Not with this injury. She pushed herself to her breaking point and it had exhausted her. Her vision was starting to get blurry and she started to feel light headed. She knew she was bound to pass out any second. She looked into Harusame's direction and saw the girl on her back, trying to push herself up but couldn't. That girl...she really was a lot tougher than she looked. When she heard her opponent concede the match, it had honestly surprised her. Nori thought she was done for if she couldn't get out of these chains. It was then that she heard the proctor announce that Harusame was unable to continue the match and that she had won.

Somehow a sense of relief had washed over her. It was over. The chains had loosened around her and let her go, dropping her to the ground. Nori just laid there in a puddle as she just looked onward at Harusame. She couldn't see her very well because of her blurry vision, but she could hear Fuji reassure her and tell her that there was always next time. She just stayed still for a moment or two before she slowly pushed herself up with a trembling arm. She kept her other hand pressed tightly against the injury on her neck as she watched the medical ninja make their way over to Harusame. "Haru...same..." she said in a voice she hoped was loud enough for the girl to hear. "You...you are amazing... Don't give up...okay? Be strong..."

Sakuya managed a nod to reply to her sensei as she tried to hide her face that is on the verge of tears, also to remind her sensei that Nori's wound would require immediate medical attention. She gave a few movements with one hand in hopes that Nori would see her reply - also acknowledging Nori's perseverance and wishing the Konohagakure genin good luck in her next match.

When she was finally out of the area did Sakuya finally started crying, letting out the disappointment towards herself she has held in earlier. She may have learned much, but she is still young and needed time to come to terms with her feelings.

Fujii allowed his student to dismiss herself away from the arena. He would further attend to her needs once he looked over Nori's massive wound. He couldn't help but feel incredibly proud of his pupil. She managed to deal massive attack that would surely kill somebody, however he wouldn't allow this young girl to die after her match. That would be too cruel. He whistled for the medical ninja to take care of Nori right away. They attended her injury quickly and tried to control her bleeding as she was carried away on a gurney and sent to the infirmary for immediate medical attention. Once there, they managed to do a blood transfusion and get Nori on IV fluids and close up her wound with surgery and stitches. She was good to go for her next match tomorrow, even though she was recovering from surgery.

Once Nori was sent away, Fujii made his way back to Sakuya. He placed a hand on her shoulder and allowed her to let her emotions get the best of her. Being a sensei wasn't entirely easy. There were harsh moments where you had to push your students to do their very best in life or death situations and put them through harsh training. That's how ninja learned. However, controlling your mental state wasn't a sensei's job; it was the individual's job to control and maintain themselves. A sensei can only guide and teach and a genin had to either learn from it, or step away from it.

He sighed, feeling terrible for ending the match, but it had to be done. "I never expected such skill from you. For being a supporter teammate, you have a lot of fight in you. You don't need those boys to protect you anymore. That is what you have learned here today. You learned to completely stand on your own. That can make a great leader. You will pass the exams some day. Maybe not today, but take this defeat and learn from it. There will always be obstacles in your way and this was one of them. Even though you did not pass today, I am still proud of you and that is something you can take home with you after this is over. The choice is yours whether or not you want to give up being a ninja. But I promise you, once we get back, I will train your properly and you will rise to be a leader," he encouraged before dropping his hand from her shoulder and walked away. He had other matches to proctor.