Naruto Universe A swordsman walked down the valley, looking for a man he'd heard had been renown as some sort of god to the people around here. His hands twitched in anticipation. "Not every day I get to slay a supposed God. Normally I only get the title as Slayer of Men." He wore a red coat, with a slight bulge on the both sides of the interior, two rod like objects were stuffed away on either side. The one one the left was shorter than the on one the right. On his back was a Nodachi, strapped across his right shoulder His face was elated that such a man could exist. Maybe someone strong enough to kill him? "A demon vs a god... how interesting."

Sitting quietly near amidst the gently swaying branches of a copse, the shade's eyes were closed, his breathing level and calm, and his mind open. He had thought to rest awhile, but considering the presence of the stranger he doubted that would last terribly long. Continuing his mental excercise, Zume expanded his awareness in all directions, sensing the movement of birds, frogs, squirrels, and even insects all in perfect harmony as they moved to survive and more importantly, thrive. His perception focused then, rapidly shifting to different areas of interest, then through different layers of perception. After a few minutes he felt that the man was close enough to hear him, and so his eyes still closed, he spoke. "Greetings stranger," he said, his smooth voice emanating through the air. "What brings you to this valley? The beauty, are you simply passing through, or perhaps your intentions are less...peaceful," a knowing smile came over his face as his eyes opened to gaze upon the man, their color hazel for the moment. He rose. Once on his feet the shade stared at the man silently, awaiting his response. Hopefully he was wrong. He was tired of challengers.

????

The man raised his eyes at the supposed God's annoyance. His eyes locked onto Zume, seemingly absorbing everything he saw. "I see, I feel annoyance, you are tired, many people challenge you, none of them worth your time, some fools trying to become some sort of hero, or prove they're the strongest. I'm not like those people, though neither do I come here peacefully. I'm here because I hear you might be interesting. Let me prove you I am worth the challenge. Hit me with whatever attack you feel like. If I'm alive, I'm obviously worth your time. If I'm not, oh well." The man still hadn't unsheathed his sword. He didn't see a need. It wasn't like this was life or death yet. His hands finally stopped shaking; he could feel it. This man was worth the challenge.

Listening, the shade tilted his head and raised an eyebrow slightly, finding himself mildly intrigued by the man's proposition. However, he did not enjoy killing, though if his strike killed the man it would be the end of his encounter. On the other hand, doing so was rather boring and risky as he'd then be fairly close to the man as a strike that would easily be fatal was one that he'd rather deliver at close range, not that such was a requirement. He took several steps towards the man, with not a shred of killing intent in him. "Why?" He asked simply, his eyes seeming to search the man's for an answer. "You seem to have come a long way, and while you are right, I would much prefer offering you a fair chance." He smiled slightly, "Both in combat and in life, after all you seem the worthy sort." His smile faded and he raised his hand before him, palm faced up as he began to mold chakra within himself, "But if you insist I can certainly deliver," his eyes briefly darkened, before lightening as he searched the man's face for a reply. "Regardless, I would know your name prior, so that at least a grave my be laid. All men deserve that much."

???

The man shook his head. Why must people of his calibur ask questions? Why worry about the philosophical? A bit of worry went across his face though as he noticed the total lack of killing intent. That would be no fun, no, no, that wouldn't do. "I am a warrior, and I live by the blade, and perhaps I shall die by it. That is all. As of this moment, neither one of us has a name. Please do try to kill me, this is what it should feel like when you do. En guarde." The nameless warrior quickly drew a tessen out of his coat. A massive amount of killing intent flooded the area, beyond description. The very nature that had been thriving around the area took fear. Animals fled. Even the trees began to lose color. Images of death would flood anyone nearby. He walked slowly towards Zume, watching his every movement, wanting to see what he would feel.

Warrior, a word he had heard many times, but not so many said it with the conviction that this man did. Intriguing. Then his killing intent soared, briefly putting his senses on edge before he took a breath, calming himself to serenity once more. There was not a flinch or out of place movement as he watched his opponent's eyes analyze his every move. The Shade smiled, "Amusing," and his hand was met by its twin to preform several handseals in rapid succession. He did not state the name of his technique, but a dark mist began to spread from his form, drifting around him, but not spreading further than 4 feet in every vector. This man was a strange one, for he was a warrior who cared not for names or titles, only for battle. Perhaps this made him a truer warrior than many others he'd faced, but that did not make him any less strange. Eyes serious, Zume sighed lightly before closing them entirely and beginning to walk towards his opponent as well, noting his weapon once more as he did so. It seemed that there were no words that he could utter to dissuade the man from initiating combat, so he would instead be forced to use action. "If that is your wish, then come, nameless warrior," he continued to approach, muscles relaxed, but ready for anything at a moment's notice. He hoped not to be disappointed, though it hardly mattered in the end.

???

The nameless warrior continued his approach, and his tessen snapped open, releasing a large amount of chakra. "That was fast. I can feel your serenity once more. Most people never calm down after I announce myself. Why do you not attack directly? I gave you the offer. Breath of Gaia" With a snap of his wrist panning forward with his fan, dust in the air formed together, flying together in blades towards Zume with a small breeze, a small scale attack for the most part. The blades of dust cut into the ground, kicking up more to be added to the attack. He wanted to see what manner of mist this was. What would it do to the dust if anything, and would it be blown away that easily?

With the opening of the Tessen Zume noted the release of the man's chakra into his surroundings where it appeared to blend with surrounding earth and dust for the most part. It was an aptly named technique and as it was executed it created more of the dust and wind, attempting to blow away the mist that surrounded him. However it was dense, though it did not obscure vision very much, and while some of it initially blew backwards and away from him, it quickly gathered once more, forming back into a cloud around him as it had been before. When they blades reached it had already gathered once more and aligned along the path of the blades, solidifying as it did so. When they blades hit they met edges equal in length and size to their own and propelled just as much by the negative polarity that had been imparted them by Zume. "I have much experience upon the battleground," he stated cryptically. The man's chakra scattered around him, interspersed lightly with his mist, and some upon the ground surrounding him unless further manipulated by the man to do otherwise. Zume figured that the technique could be utilized as a direct attack, but was far more effective as a preparation for further assault. With this in mind he swept his left arm to his side, the mist thickening into a fog on that side of his body as he did so, then motioned in another sweeping motion towards his opponent causing the fog to thin into a mist once more. As it thinned it extended to the side then curved in an arc and attempted to strike towards the man from his right side. All the while Zume's eyes remained closed, though he could understand his surroundings just fine. What the striking mist would do upon nearing the man depended on his actions.

???

The nameless warrior slammed his tessen shut with his right hand. The chakra disappeared from the dust in the air. "I suppose you aren't going to let me just do this easily. I suppose it would be boring if you did.... so lets see, what's the most that little fog of yours could take?" It was seemed to him both were merely getting a feel for eachother. The fun would start when they were ready. The man gracefully moved his tessen in a circle, crouching as he went, with the tessen gliding across the ground beneath him, then he suddenly swept it forward. Earth Release: Earth Flow Wave The earth below him jutted out into a wave he rode, making it both an attack and an evasion of the mist coming at him. The wave rose above his enemy, threatening to crash into him, with the crest of the wave landing on the other side of his opponent, on the other side of the mist.

As the man began to move his fan, Zume's fingers splayed and the mist split into 5, 3 of which moved towards him, 1 that kept its trajectory, and another which moved behind the man if he were to dodge backwards. As the chakra shifted purposes and was moulded he noted the infusion of it into the earth around his opponent, and as he noticed this the mist thickened once more into a fog. "An effective counter," he mused quietly as the wave formed and moved towards him, as if in slow motion. Much to the man's displeasure he would find it slowing the closer it came to Zume. Furthermore while his elevated status had caused the 3 offshots of mist to miss him, they had not missed the mud wave. Zume took a step back and focused the fog before him somewhat, though a lighter mist remained all around. As the fog neared it became even denser, more chakra packing into it and its polarity increasing. However, he never let it reach him, for before then the mist that had hit had moved throughout its form and degraded the chakra, which guided the technique, causing the wave to become a rapidly falling pile of mud. His two other strikes, which had missed, curved downwards and hit the ground, disappearing. The fog before him redistributed, forming around him once more, its distribution as even as it had been before. Then it spread out further, covering a total of 10 feet in all directions. If the man had not retreated, he would now be within the mist. Regardless portions of it would cling to him slightly as he retreated. If he did gain distance Zume would begin to walk towards him slowly, still not a shred of killing intent present. "That Tessen is quite something," Zume would state regardless, his eyes still closed, his tone revealing his interest. Perhaps this would require he use his own blade, not that the man had yet drawn his Nodachi. He wondered what it was capable of.

????

His Earth Flow started to degenerated to nothing more than mere mud, the man jumped high into the air to avoid the mist once more, opening his fan to the side. The force of his jump sent part of the crest of the weakened wave he was on crashing down at his God-like opponent as his wave collapsed. Mud or not, the sheer weight of it was likely to do some damage if it wasn't stopped. As his fan opened to the side of him, the dust in the air began to gather to it, almost visibly drawn as it came to him. The moment the tessen wasn't closed, the wave stopped degenerating and instantly collapsed completely into mud. He mused midair. "My, my. That mist speaks of highly of you as well. It's calm and calculated, much like it's owner" He reflected on what had happened. As soon as his wave came in contact with it, his control of it disappeared. The man could either manipulate or cancel techniques with that mist, that much he could see. He could only think of one technique to get rid of that blasted mist, but from what he'd seen earlier, it would gather again even if he did. His left hand reached over his shoulder grabbing the Nodachi strapped to his back, It was impossible to draw in that position, but he just held the handle. "Get ready, Monohoshi Zao, this one will be worth it." Chakra began amassing in the blade, drawing in energy from the air around it. The Ito(braid on the handle) of his sword started changing color slowly. It was black, and slowly, ever so slowly reddening. The change was extremely gradual, as was the chakra it was beginning to amass.

Rapidly as the mud began to collapse, Zume focused the mist around his body and, the mud obscuring vision as it closed around him, he moved. However, the mud never truly touched him, instead it hovered an inch or two from the surface of his body, repulsing the mud repeatedly to keep it at the same distance. Taking a step, Zume then spun rapidly, altering the mist's polarity so that one layer of it repulsed and the other attracted. This caused the mist to be thrown from his body and pull the mud into a spiraling sphere of jet black chakra covered with the mud. The mist partially bonded with the mud, and then it all split off into many portions, flinging a myriad of sharpened earthen projectiles, hardened, shaped, and held together by the positive polarity of the void, towards his opponent. He ceased his spin, coming to a stop a mere half a second after the release of the flowing earth spears. The spears were positioned in such a way so as to be spread out enough to make dodging all of them difficult, but were also close enough to make weaving between them equally as hard. The mist that had missed earlier had now moved back to Zume making a thin veil around his form. His eyes remained shut. He doubted his initial attack would hit as this individual could manipulate the earth, but nonetheless he knew that it was a step towards something else. The man had yet to utilize all his tricks, though the same could be said for him. Executing handseals, Zume smiled slightly and spoke, "Hahaoya no hōyō(母親の抱擁 'A mother's embrace')." With a small shroud of chakra already about his form, Zume simply condensed it over him properly, and portions of chakra through his body. It was time to step up the game and see just how much this man could take.

The man was starting to get intrigued by his opponent more and more, the fact that he had touched his sword at all was fact enough of that. He was planning on using it, the last time he'd felt for the need for it.... only one other man had deserved it truly. His sword was still absorbing chakra from the area around it, starting to turn a dark red instead of black. He loved the sense of mystery around his opponent, most opponents felt something more than just serenity in a fight. He didn't know how he could do it, no killing intent, like the killing intent he possessed. The nightmarish feeling around him was sheerly from the thrill he felt. The warrior pressed his fan together a bit more, though it didn't close. The dust around him gathered into a platform, which he burst off of, jumping to the right. As he jumped higher, he did a similiar motion as previous, causing the dust to make a shield infront of him against several of the earth spears, which he would then bounce off of again, starting to make a circle of dust in the air above Mr. Mystery. An earth user taking to the sky might seem almost poetically ironic. "A mother's embrace? It seems like neither of us has forgotten where he came from."

With the spears barely missing the man with each of his movements, Zume smiled slightly, regarding the man with a new appreciation, even if only mild in its intensity. "The question is," his smiled broadened somewhat, his eyes still filled with an unearthly calmness, "who shall return to her first," he took a step, the remainder of the mist spread out, becoming indistinguishable from normal air due to how dispersed it became, and then he vanished. A blur of movement would pass his opponent from both the right and left side, after which an attack would strike out from both sides, despite Zume being present in neither. The light of the sun would briefly flash against something, seen barely from the corner of the man's eye. What was it?

The man started to have a weird expression on his face. His sword's hilt finally stayed a color of crimson. "This air is not one of the chaos of war.... it's unnatural. It's serene. " The very air around him shook with serenity as the void dispersed into it, the man feeling it spread. The feeling was unnatural to the man as he started his descent. This was the first time in a long time he'd felt anything close to fear. He instinctly switched the tessen to his other hand, and drew from his robes the other rod like bulge in his robe, a Kodachi, drawing with the same side as where the kodachi was, making the draw not able to be an iai technique, but overall faster. The fact he felt the need to draw a sword was reflected of the emotions he felt. Chakra flooded thinkly into his his blade, while with his other hand, his tessen moved open and close(though never fully closed), channeling his chakra as well as a hindsign. It wasn't a moment too soon. He felt a blur of motions to either side of him, and unleashed a upward slash to his right, flicking his right hand down at the center to send a downward slash to his left, making two slashes from a single stroke. "Hill cutter" The technique was simply named, but complexly composed. The slash released a wave of chakra from his blade that quickly pulled in the dust from around him, imbuing it in an chainsaw like motion, causing it initially come to the center, then vibrate outwards making a large cut infront of it. The way it was designed the chakra and core of the techique itself was armored by the earth around it that moved to fast to be imbued itself. It was composed of so many seperate particles that stopping any of them would only cause the ones behind it to reanimate it with kinetic energy in the same directions. In simple, it was a chainsaw wave of earthen particles The cuts were very wide, about a foot across. They would slam into the incoming attacks to both sides, as he sensed the serenity coming once more As his blade ended the path, his wrist flicked up once more, causing one more slash to , causing a bit of pain to the swordsman's wrist from the 2nd flick in a row. "Mizu Gaeshi*: Hill Cutter." (*Is a real sword technique) A 3rd wave shot out. The man sent it to wear he felt the serenity at it's strongest. All techniques were painted by the emotions of their users.

His position revealed behind the man, Zume, in a flash, drew his blade from seemingly nowhere, and blocked the strike. His eyes had notified him of its movement patterns, consistency, and chakra make=up allowing him to deduce how to counter it with his own blade. The movement patterns within the blade emitted just along its surface, moving in the opposite direction of the dust, while several other one bunched and created slight grooves and spikes. Several others expanded from the blade, creating a flat wall-like surface as Zume slashed. In this way he blocked the strike, dispersing it over the surface of the wall and carrying through with his slash so as to send a blade of chakra from his weapon downwards at his adversary from only a 2 meters(6 feet) away. "Well done," he stated with a slight smile, solidifying some void chakra and jumping away to land on the ground far below, where he waited. This man's technique was a dangerous thing, he'd need to keep his blade on hand, and the mist active, this was for sure. As such he expelled a small amount of additional void chakra, altering it from a mist to an even distribution of liquid and gaseous void. "You are a capable warrior," he stated simply, almost thoughtfully as he observed the man's chakra as well as a myriad of other layers to his being. He had sensed fear for a moment, an interesting sensation from a man so shrouded in killing intent. Still, along with that he had detected excitement, so it was clear that this man had challenged him not for the sake of fame, or fortune, but for the sheer enjoyment he gleaned from fighting a worthy opponent--at least this was the likely conclusion. Interesting, to say the least, if not somewhat insane. Nonetheless, those of normal mind did not typically get far in such a world as this one.

The man landed on the ground, closing his tessen as he did. "Bane of Benkei." Chakra filled only the tip tessen as he did it. He thrust it out at his opponent's chakra blade, and burst it open the instant it the chakra was touching Zume's Chakra, sending the chakra on the tip flying in two directions, and the technique sent at him with it. "You are as well... I almost can't remember the last time I felt fear like that. I suppose you are worthy of hearing my name. I am Ganryu, Kojiro Sasaki, the Nodachi on my back is my weapon, Monohoshi Zao (The Drying Pole). This has been a nice warm up, but I think we're both to the point of actually starting." He tucked the tessen back into his robe, and dropped the Kodachi which planted straight into the ground. Then he removed the Nodachi from his back, grabbing the cords that wrapped around his shoulder, and pulling it over his head. He held his sword infront of his, and quickly threw the sheathe from off of it, into the distance, discarding it. It landed with a thud, still wrapped with the nature chakra that imbued the sword Kojiro was carrying. As soon as the sheath was removed from the sword, the chakra it was filled with radiated around the area. The chakra wasn't normal, and his eyes changed, turning bright red underneath them, the pupils changing to a bright blue. It was sage chakra, the man had become a sage, the sword having filled with natural energy ever since he had touched it. It refreshed his chakra, and made his body much tougher. "Now, I know your name, Zume Tatasuko, but what's his name?" He pointed to Zume's blade with his Nodachi. As he did, his sword, full of chakra, touched his Kodachi in the ground, accidentally a flick of sage chakra touched it as well.

Flicking the blade slightly as if to remove something from it, Zume observed the change and nodded his head slightly. As the man entered sage mode, apparently by way of his blade, Zume's own blade returned to its typical appearance. He bowed his head slightly as the stranger finally revealed his name, finishing the process of pleasantries that had not been finished when they began. Smiling slight as his blatant admission regarding fear, Zume in response, raised his blade before him so that the light could gleam off of it ever so slightly, "its name is Ōku no iroai ni musuko(_{多くの色合いへ息子} 'Son to many shades')," he stated with a slight smile as his eyes grazed over its surface before returning to Kojiro's form. He closed his eyes, and immediately there was a slight shift in his demeanor. "Yes, I suppose you could say we have tested eachother plenty, and it is time that the final exam begin," as his eyes opened, so did those of the abyss, for no longer were they hazel, but pitch black orbs set in his still handsome face. There was both a pull and a revulsion begot from gazing into those eyes, as if they were the essence of emptiness itself. Seijou no nentou karada(Purity of the Mind and Body), he thought in silence as he initiated a technique, then began walking towards his opponent, the man Kojiro. The void chakra scattered about his form seemed to writhe and dance as he moved now, and for the first time, Kojiro would sense killing intent from him. Still, it was not as it would have been from most, no it was a strange mixture of terror inducing emotion and serenity--almost as if it hinted at what lay beyond this life. Fear of loss, then the serenity of letting go of it all and relinquishing ones worries and responsibilities to the world and those in it. It was a unique intent, this was certain, and the shade held it well. "I collect you will not regret if I kill you?" He stated with a slight smile briefly touching his face before fading. He did not enjoy killing, only the conflict which was its premise, but if a man truly held no grudge, perhaps he could enjoy it...just this once.

Kojiro laughed for the first time. It would seem out of place considering both had declared they were becoming serious. The killing intent however was much more at home than empty feeling. He enjoyed the feeling much more than before. There was something hollow about how it was before. "What a feeling this intent. I can feel the brink of death in this feeling. The moment a warrior achieves his greatest point is when he's faced with it. Death is pleasant to me. I only fear a life full of mistakes." His fear earlier was only the fear of having underestimated his opponent. He wouldn't do that again. This man was dangerous. It was wonderful! He grabbed his tessen, it responded to the sage chakra as well, then he threw it away, sending it sailing over Zume. "I'm sorry, I've delayed you far too long. I just wanted to enjoy that feeling. I might not get to enjoy it again. Life is short, I live every moment the most I can. Here I come." He grabbed Monohoshi Zao and got into stance at blurring speeds, his entire demeanor changing to dead serious. The stance knocked down the Kodachi. The air around him spoke of his emotions, the killing intent speaking of the master of the art he'd acquired, a mastery of the sword, and of his pride in it. The pride of a swordsman. The chakra in his sword resonated in the air. Earth Release: Return to Dust He made a quick spinning slash, a 360 degree spin. The dust around the area which had been gathering from his tessen earlier followed his blade, creating a vortex based around several large blades of dust, one lined behind another. From the earth below more earth joined vortex, becoming more giant blades. Each blade passed behind the rest. The vortex blew the sheathe farther away, and made the tessen sail farther as well as kicking up grass, and cutting down trees. The area was in for a beating he figured from both him

The slightest of smiles was roused at Kojiro's response, but nothing more. It was good, of this he was sure, that the man's outlook was as such. It was open, free, and almost without care for the negative aspects of life, uncaring that it would one day end. It was better that way. Taking in a deep breath and invisibly expanding the patterns of his blade, Zume readied himself even as Kojiro's stance was taken, and his slash executed. The patterns moved to surround him as he read the technique's name from the man's mind, and simultaneously ran a simulation in his mind in regards to the result of the chakra moulded to execute it. All this in a split second and then the movement patterns manifested, and began to spin, each a oval-shaped blade which met at a point above his head and rotated upon that axis, angled downwards in a slow much like a massive umbrella. Each of the blades was 1.5 meters across and almost 3 meters in length. While there were small spaces between each angled piece of pitch black armor--composed of a mixture of solid and liquid void weaved together so as to create a more resilient structure-- they spun and as such caught air and flung it outwards in a secondary dome around 5 meters in radius, with Zume as the epicenter. He did not utter the name of a single technique, for it had no name beyond that which was used for the techniques any Tatasuko utilized to manipulate the void's chakra. "I may have passed your test, but you've only passed one of mine..." he said quietly to himself, smiling despite the man's inability to see the expression. "...but perhaps you will yet," he chuckled, and moved his arm in position to slash horizontally. As he did so, the movement graceful, his arm taking its time to move, 20 more of the movement patterns became externalized from the blade, 10 which formed more of the ovals, though they waited to enter the physical. The other 10 positioned themselves around the blade at different angles, elongating and being forced into the shape of sharpened, pointed edges by his will as they did so. Taking in a deep breath, only a brief 7 seconds having passed since he had erected his defense, his eyes focused and he slashed. He could see it all, every atom, react to the motion as if time were slowed. He could choose to see everything like this, so as to react properly to every minute change or aspect of any given action taken by others. As the blade gradually traveled through the air, the oval plats that hadn't been utilized yet joined their brethren even as those that shaped his defense parted for a moment only for the new spaces to be filled by the moving ovals. His defense had expanded, and as it did so did the massive torrent of wind that surrounded him. Initially the oval-shaped constructs had blocked the blades sent at him, but as they spun and formed the torrent of wind, the wind tore the fragments of dust apart before they ever reached the shield. The slash however, traveled straight through the field of wind invisibly, the patterns externalized, but not yet physical. As they exited the field of wind they scattered, all 10 of them, opened into wide circular blades, hollow in the center, with the distance between each inner portion being a diameter of 8 meters. However, with no air resistance to yet impede them, the still invisible blades, rapidly moved shrunk, appearing like an invisible gyroscope and Kojiro is in the center. To give his opponent a chance and to allow them their own kinetic energy, Zume physicalized the bladed rings when they were roughly 5 seconds from fully closing in, and thus cutting Kojiro to ribbons. This allowed for a brief period of time in which he could block, somehow, or escape the enclosing rings.