Meran vs Ranmaru

Music to set the mood

Nerves tingled inside of Meran as he assumed the position opposite the Jounin. This was the moment, almost ready to start, the jounin tossed aside his large scroll and then assumed a battle stance.

Meran closed his eyes for just a few seconds. He pondered what he could do as a small stream of wind from outside brushed his neck. With the touch of the dry wind his eyes shot open, he gave his opponent a short nod, then assumed his battle position, in his eyes a hot determination to prove himself against this jounin and leave no one in the room without a doubt that he should be a Genin.

With a sharp movement he streched his arms to his sides, releasing all his special sand into the air around him, as if it exploded outward. After the sharp gesture he fluidly moves into an elegant combat stance. On arm above his head, the other outstretched when he himself stands sideways.

With a frown on his face the sand moves around him for a moment and then 9 Shiruken made of sand shoot out from the sand cloud towards Ranmaru, some directly at him, others missing on purpose in case the shinobi decided to dodge his main attack.

Hidden from plain sight, the ninwire was hidden and distributed amongst the shiruken. In itself a weapon, which provided a line between the outer shiruken. In case the shiruken were blocked by the jounin, he could be snagged by the wire. Which was the second layer.

In case he managed to succesfully dodge the wire, a trap would have been placed with the shiruken landing and Meran would activate it gladly to attempt another capture of his target.

3 AP:

0 AP = Sand control C (-5 Chakra -1ME +1AP (for sand actions))
1 AP = Used to distribute Ninwire amongst the sand
1 AP = Sand Shiruken (-1 Chakra)
1 AP = Ayatsuito no Jutsu (-1 Chakra)

Chakra = 16 - 7 = 9
ME = 11 - 1 = 10
PE = 7
HP = 4

Ranmaru kept up his blank expression even as Meran took his pose and the shuriken would start flying at him. However the Jounin instead of blocking the projectiles would lower his blade and simply walk at the shuriken that flew his way.
As the projectiles would hit him they would go straight through him as if he was....A BUNSHIN.
The Jounin's form dispersed in a cloud of smoke as right behind himself Meran would hear his special sand moving and protecting him twice.
The Jounin was already behind him, or maybe he was there all along, although that looked like a simple Bunshin Meran's Ninjutsu knowledge allowed the boy to deduce it wasn't the simple academy E-rank version, there was more to it. But what? He couldn't point a finger on it quite yet.

(Hidden actions x 4, 4 AP)

"Your trail of thought exceeds an avarage Genin." Ranamru would say, but if it was meant to be a complement, it sure didn't sound like one. It sounded more like a computer spitting out facts and feedback, cold , calculated feedback, with no emotion in his tone.

(Sword attacks x 3, 3 AP)

The Jounin was standing almost chest to back to Meran when he said this in a half whisper before he would make a slight movement jumping slightly onto his left foot before jumping right back to his right foot and then stabilizing himself back on one place, doing the motion so fast that it is clear he practiced it, the motion looking like it was meant to confuse his opponent as to where he would be going or striking from. Was he using Genjutsu, advanced Ninjutsu, or something else? The lack of emotion on his face didn't help as he didn't give Meran any signal of whether the boy was doing good or not.

( 2 AP hidden actions)

(9 Ch; 11 ME; 7 PE; 4 HP )

Slight panic shot into Meran's eyes as the Jounin simply walked through his carefully thought out plan. He was sure it would work, but it did not. It had failed... If it was a bunshin... Where was the real...

1st Strike!! Wham! The special sand shot into action, blocking the first strike 'What the hell was that?' Meran thought as he just saw a blade disappear from sight. 'He is deceiving my sight, is this a genjutsu? What if...'

2nd Strike!! Meran turned around following the strike, a struck look on his own face... He knew he could not trust his eyes, but he was not sure if this was a genjutsu or not. 'Not a time to think, but one to act, but how can I know?' Meran suddenly smiled, he would not have to know, not exactly. His special sand would not be fooled by such trickery.

3rd Strike!! And Meran would rapidly close his fist! Forcing the special sand that blocked his action, to close on the blade. It would try to stop the blade from moving.

The Jounin would make some confusing moves with his legs, Meran's mind would try to follow these actions, but with some effort meran focussed on the task ahead! With a casual wave Meran would seemingly transform two of his units to birds, who would launch themselves at the Jounin ready to attack. Meran would focus on the Sand on the blade to aim his attack, Fixing that as a steady point.



(2 AP:

• 0 AP - Sand Control C (-5 Chakra, -1 ME, +1AP (for sand))
  
• 1 AP - Sand hold onto blade
  
• 2 AP - Sabaku no Choiri (-2 Chakra, -1 ME)
  
• 0 AP - Focused Action (choiri) (-6 ME)

Chakra= 9 - 7 = 2
ME = 11 - 8 = 3
PE = 7
HP = 4)

The moment the Sand grabbed the blade the Jounin wouldn't stop his footwork but also pulled on the blade a bit as he did that. When the birds would his him they would go right through him again as he would disperse into a cloud of smoke, but the blade remaining in tact and held by the sand.
Meran afterall couldn't feel what the sand feels and would thus not notice that he had let go of it on his own, and the Jounin made sure to make the Bunshin move the hand that held onto the hilt behind the sand that was holding it to avoid Meran seeing that the hand holding the blade was going through it.

As the clone dispersed Meran would see his special sand reacting again 6 strikes this time, pure punches in a fast follow up, retracting his hands very swiftly this time to avoid being grabbed by the sand shielding the boy. He would make the same kind of jump left to right with each punch and as he would deliver the final blow the Jounin would split up into 7 forms of himself jumping out from one spot and forming a circle around the aspirant Genin before each of the 7 forms dashed his way attempting one more strike.

(2 Chakra; 10 ME; 7 PE; 4 HP)

Meran smiles, so... It probably wasn't a genjutsu then.
Now that he had uncovered that secret, what could and should he do next?

First he needed Chakra, there was nothing else about it, so he focused himself for a moment, allowing his body to do the necessary work.

While this is passing, Meran would analize his situation. 'Too many dancers at this ball' he thought as he sees the clones all around himself. Slowly the boy breaths out and analyzes the situation. These are not normal bunshin, but they are not tangible... So it would be the man's own signature jutsu.

The Bunshin circle around him and meran gathers as much information as he can in those split seconds before they start to attack. He misses his little book, but at the moment, there are more important things to do, proving his worth for one. It was without a doubt that Meran would stop to write down everything he could right after the fight. The fact was, neither had to endure a direct hit yet, Meran does not expect he will get one, but most likely must endure one. So if he will get hit, why not just go out with a bang?

Meran looks at the clones and lets his mind at work. His strong point was always his mind and he had been somewhat neglecting it for the current fight. Which was not like him. He took a deep breath and relaxed visibly.

Looking at the clones he analyzed what he could to notice anything out of the ordinary. (Investigation) He looked for false patterns in the movement what could give the clones away. (Subterfuge)
He racked his brain about his knowledge of Genjutsu, to make sure this isn't one. (genjutsu)
He used this knowledge of Chakra Control in the hopes to spot irregularities. (CC)
And finally, he would use all his knowledge of brawling to see if something is strange in the man's movement at all.

After he has analysed Meran closes his eyes as the men draw nearer and when it is almost too late to act, the boy spreads his fingers rapidly apart, trusting in the information he gathered and he sends 1 sand shiruken towards each clone. The remaining two he would send to the most likely place an 8th clone (or real shinobi) might appear. (for instance near the floating blade.)
The 9 Shiruken shot into 9 different directions, unless the analyzing excluded certain clones or gave a definite target, then Meran would adjust this appropriately.

As soon as he made the gesture, he opened his eyes. Whatever happened, he would analyse the outcome and face things head-on.


2 AP:

• 1AP - Chakra molding = -4 PE, -4 ME = +16 Chakra
  
• 0 AP - Sand control C = -5 Ch, -1 ME (+1 sand action)
  
• 1 AP - Skill Use - Subterfuge; Perception; Genjutsu;
  
• Focused Action (skill use) = -3ME
  
• 1 AP - Suna Shiruken = -1 CH
  

(12Ch, 2 ME, 3 PE, 4 HP)

As the boy analyzed the clone with his skills of investigation he would fail to spot anything useful.
However when using his skills of subterfuge to seek false patterns in movement he would see that something was off about the movement of the incomming opponents, however, all of them had the same oddity in moving rather calculated and near robotic yet with a constant wiggle from side to side on their upper body, but all of them had it, so either all of them were fake, or this was just a strange movement pattern of the Jounin on a regular.
As the Sabaku boy would test his senses, trying to see if it was a Genjutsu he would gasp as he would realize his chakra flow was indeed being tempered with, this however seemed to have happened only recently as his eyes would then spot for chakra seals in the corners of the battlefield. Area Genjutsu.
That's why he couldn't sense it straight away, it wasn't aimed at him, it was aimed at anyone and everyone within it's boundries.

The Shuriken flew in all directions making the clones disperse as they passed through them he would then hear the zipping of ninja wire and would notice that the sand he had left on the ground earlier with ninja wire making a trap had moved back already when the Jounin had delivered the 6 strikes causing for all his shielding special sand to move to his aid. The ninja wire was gone from that spot as well.
The boy had spend too much time analyzing the clones and predicting their movements and a possible attempt at grabbing the sword that he forgot his opponents abbility to utilize Meran's own weapon against him.

The metal strings would swoosh and bind the Sabaku boy hogtieing him causing him to loose his footing  before Ranmaru would appear again out of nowhere jumping back and blocking 2 of the shuriken that happened to go in his direction with a forehead protector he held in his hand. The symbol that Meran had passed was being used to deflect the sand attacks.

The special sand would poke lightly at the wire but didn't do much against it on it's own, as it wasn't harmful, just restricted movement.
The Jounin would dash foreward a bit stopping Meran from falling down face first but allowing the boy to stay on his knees, still tied up as he would begin to place the forehead protector on him.
And for the first time, Ranmaru would express emotion. A smile, pride as well.
"You have done well Sabaku no Meran...outstanding results beyond what I had expected." He said with his happy smiling proud face before going back to his emotionless one and speaking with a rather empty and emotionless tone yet again."But you have ways to go still. For one, keep an eye on the situation, expect the unexpected when you are facing other shinobi, and try to be as unpredictable as possible yourself. Don't let your enemy read you easily." He nodded and would then take out a Kunai and cut the wires.

[Combat Over]

Meran receives 8 CP for this fight

'Damnit!' Meran thought as he fell over hogtied. Trapping an opponent was his way of ending a fight, not the other way around!
Meran's eyes lowered as he had noticed the genjutsu to late. He was to focused on only one of his senses. This was definitely something he wanted to write down, however in his current predicament he could not reach his little book.

Funny, come to think of it, that he was worried more about writing the information down, than whether he had succesfully passed the test or not... 'What if he did not?!' But right as the thought and worry seem to hit him, metal hit his forehead. 'Wait? What?... Did he not crash head first into the Genjutsu, realizing it only when it was too late?!...' MEran was confused and did not know what to think, then something happened what confused him even more.

The man showed emotion... Showed him praise even... He did not expect that.. What he expected was some robot voice giving statistics of the battle in a dry manner. Meran was flaberghasted. Off course he had more to learn.. He was just an academy student... Well, sort of.. He was well on his way earning a higher status in the army.

As Meran was set free, the first thing he would do is sit down and take out his little booklet and a pen... And then he realizes... "This might not be the time." He said, holding the pen between the pages of the book and standing up again. Bowing to the Jounin he said "Thank you sir, I'll work hard on improving myself. It was a pleasure to dance the dance with you."

Meran looked to either side.. The trouble with being the first to succeed, was not knowing what to expect next? Examining the room around him, he would see his sister fighting his niece, as well as a disappointed back, shoulders slumped leaving the arena.
Meran looked at his opponent questioningly, he was unsure of the proceedings, but he was sure that Ranmaru would know them to perfection.

Meran would nevertheless gesture to his sand, making it return to him, sticking to his body again. The blade still held by the sand settled in meran's open hand. He would turn to Ranmaru and with a bow present the weapon to the man. Though he hoped to be able to keep it, Ranmaru would most likely place both the wire and the blade back on the table.

Ranmaru would look up at Meran and give another little smile, a cocky amused one this time as he took the blade from the boy and tossed him the ninjawire in return. Yes, the ninjawire Meran thought he still had on him.
"Thank you, and you keep that." He said about the pack of wire that had been somewhat used already as he took the blade placing it back on the table before going for his next choice.

Meran would bow as he received the gift, then he would make his way towards where he was expected to go. Right before going through the the door he would turn and yell: "GOOO!!!! Hiten, Akira and Hina!! You can do it toooooooooo!!!!"

He would then smile a cheekish grin and quickly hurry on.

(Please continue play in chapter 2 of this event. )