Unlikely Meeting

Kauzu couldn't fully register what the Uchiha had done with his eyes pinned on the clansmen's torso to read movement, but he was aware of general movement. His strike landing, he watched his opponent as he was sent a ways away. His Iron Body still active, but his Ignition technique canceled for the time being, Kauzu was ready to charge in again, but first he needed to run his big mouth. "I guess you Uchiha's aren't all that you're talked up to be. If this is all you got, this'll be a cake walk." Still oblivious tot he explosive within close proximity of him or the shuriken being hidden, the Genin charged at Kotetsu with high hopes for victory.

Kotetsu ignored the taunts as he attempted to keep a cool and level head. He knew that is when someone is most dangerous, when they had peace of mind and nothing to cloud their judgment. So he decided to recite old quotes, out loud for Kauzu to hear, from a powerful general. Kotetsu read about as a child. "If you are far from the enemy, make him believe you are near," and with saying that the explosive tag blew a couple yards in front of Kauzu, which wasn't mean to inflict serious damage but more to cause a shroud of debris and dust between the two.

Upon the shroud being up, Kotetsu launches the two shuriken at the genin, and was quick to follow suit behind them with his wakizashi at the ready. "Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night," his eyes pierced through the shroud, "and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt!" He exclaimed as the shuriken and Kotetsu came close to Kauzu, he thrusted his blade down. In an attempt to cut on the inside of the right knee to weaken it and restrict his opponents movements, and the shuriken were aimed to hit each shoulder if successful.

Stopped in his tracks by the sudden explosion, the Genin didn't quite stumble, but he was quick to step back and shield his face from the explosion. "Agh that's hot!" He was certainly caught off guard, but what was even more surprising was the sharp feeling of pain in his shoulders. His Iron Body Technique did well to reduce the damage, but it didn't reduce it only halting muscle damage to his arms. On the contrary, he moved full power of the jutsu to his chest fearing a strike at such a key place wold ensue afterwards from the swordman like before, but he was wrong. From inside the smoke a blade was swung and it would hit it's mark successfully rendering Kauzu hindered for the remainder of the spar. "Gah! What more to expect from a snake." Immediately after being cut, Kauzu was quick to throw together a counter of his own which involved moving his Iron Body defense to his hands and grabbing at the same blade that cut his leg and tugging on it to bring his foe inwards. If successful the Iron defense would also be applied to the forehead as he would attempt a savage like headbutt to his target's own cranium.

It caught Kotetsu by surprise that the genin was willing and able to grip the blade, which in turn caused kauzu's headbutt to strike. Then kotetsu fell backwards, on his back, his forehead bleeding and rattled a little. He gazed up at his opponent which held the the wakizashi by the blade. While his right hand slipped behind his back, his eyes seemed to glow as they glared at Kauzu. Attempting to lock eyes in order cast a genjutsu which was Demonic Illusion:Tree Binding Technique. If unsuccessful he was ready to react to another attack, even while on his back.

Gritting his teeth as their head's collided, Kauzu wasn't doing his in response to pain, but to increase his damage output. Pain was nonexistent on his behalf due to his Iron Body Defense which was now inactive to reserve chakra. Standing over his downed foe, a slight bend in his wounded leg to avoid putting weight on it, Kauzu found it hard not to lock eyes with him given he was looking down on him. Though he told himself before to not commit such an act, he wasn't accustomed to such a dishonorable style of fighting that involved not looking one in his eyes. He felt as if he was being reduced to someone less than the Uchiha not being able to look him in his eyes.

Thus he fell victim to the foe's Genjutsu.

Upon a single glance into Kotetsu's sharingan, he seemed to fade away with into the leaves and wind. Which was the effects of the potentially deadly genjutsu starting, and in turn a tree began to take root behind Kauzu. The tree seemed realistic as it grew at an exponential rate and began to wrap its limbs around him. Once doing so, he appeared out of the tree with his divine impaler ninjato draw. Kotetsu held it high in the air before thrusting down towards the genins neck, to where he stopped just a few inches from his jugular vein on the right side of his neck. "I think that has been good for the both of us," Kotetsu says, sounding out of breath, as he sheathes his weapon and deactivates the genjutsu. "Though your punch and headbutt really got me," by now one hand was moving his jaw around as the other was trying to wipe the blood off of his forehead. "If you want, we can keep going?" He asked, though really doubted if he could go another round. Especially since if it wasn't for his sharingan and weapons, then he would sure be outmatched up close with Kauzu. "Also if you don't mind, what clan do you hail from?"

Kauzu tried his hardest to move, but found himself unable to do so. Even if he wanted he couldn't bring his hands together to attempt a Genjutsu Kai, a technique he probably would fail at given his inexperience with Genjutsu and its dynamics. "Geh, god damn Sharingan." Arms bound against the wooden oak, soon enough his foe emerged from the vegetation with his blade drown. Eyeing the weapon anxiously, every muscle in his body tensed as it was brought down, but it was stopped. Still a bit of pain ran throughout his body, his brain prematurely firing waves of pain in anticipation for what was to come. His chest puffed up high, full of oxygen, he sighed in relief as he wasn't impaled and even freed from the Genjutsu, before he plopped onto he grass. His knee still trailing blood and in a bit of pain, he rubbed blades of grass on the laceration and applied some pressure.

"Eh, they were okay." He said surprisingly modestly in reply to his punch and head but. When he lost, he knew he lost and besides his cocky attitude only came out when he was fighting and it wasn't part of his natural personality. "I'll have to pass on a round two, at least for today. There's no way I could hope to win with this cut on my leg." Kauzu chuckled as he took in a breathy then hoisted himself up, his weight primarily on his unwounded leg. "I hail from the err-." He was a bit hesitant to say, but didn't want to disown his clan regardless the fact that he lost. Even in defeat hold your head high. He thought to himself, before responding. "The Sarutobi Clan and you're from the Uchiha clan right?" He hoped so given he fact he called out the Uchiha clan during their little scuffle. "Regardless you're an amazing fighter, we'll positively have to do this again sometime." Kauzu didn't mind the fact the boy used weapons and had Sharingan, in fact Kauzu liked it. He had gifts he was born with and gifted, to catch up just meant Kauzu had to work harder. It gave him something to aim for or rather someone to aim for and it would only help him get better. Besides, the Kumo non didn't even get to perform at 100%, so hopes of victory were still surely attainable.

Kotetsu still fiddeling with his jaw and forehead, gave a slight bow. Which he did so out of respect. "Thank you for sparring with me." Then referring to his sharingan, "If it wasn't for my kekkei genkai and genjutsu then you sure would have won." Even in a victory, he was willing to give credit where it is due. "You truly live up to the Sarutobi name, so do not feel ashamed in defeat." He then continued as he gave somewhat of speech, which his father used to tell him when Kotetsu became frustrated or overflowed with emotions. "There is no better thing than adversity. Every defeat, or victory, every heartbreak, every loss or gain, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time."

Kauzu bursted out in laughter at Kotetsu's words about Genjutsu and his Sharingan. "That may be true, but regardless the fact is you have them and you use them. So a loss is a loss, but only the first loss of many battles." He was immensely optimistic on winning the next time he'd meet Kotetsu and if he lost then, he'd wait until next time to spar and try to win again and so on and so forth.

Looking outward to a few birds fiddling with each other on a small tree branch, Kauzu absorbed Kotetsu's words. It was true at first he was a bit ashamed, but the feelings quickly subsided and he knew he had nothing to be ashamed of. Either you win or you learn. Those were the words Kauzu was taught when he was younger and they closely reflected the words Kotetsu had told him. Chuckling softly he nodded and turned his attention back to Kotetsu. "Yeah, every situation is what you make it, just glad I met someone better than me, so now I have something to strive for. Be sure to be on your A game the next time we meet." With that the Cloud Shinobi slowly made his way back into the forest's depths, possibly to continue his training.

[Exit]

With a sly grin showing on his face he replied, "I look forward to our next meeting." Kotetsu knew that the next time they would meet, Kauzu would most likely be a lot stronger. So he new he needed to as well. Before leaving he said, "and trust me, I will surpass my current limitations." With that he hurried back and to the village, in order to get some bandages for his forehead.

[Exit]