For Old Times Sake

Sparks flying around the atmosphere at every turn. The lost man beckoning the lighter to ignite with his fingers. His unoriginal presence haunting the room around him. Common, black pants with a sleeveless black t shirt, though being slightly masked by a brown jacket. Black sandals, with black hair and light brown skin, a combination that only fits his alienation as an unoriginal and lifeless being. The cigarette pronouncing the cold and almost hollow expression the man gazed with towards the opening in front of him. Cold, piercing gray eyes eluded from his stature, and shaped itself around his very core. The only objects which would not match his basic appearance would be the curved dagger and greatsword on both sides of his hips. Alongside a weapons pouch on his backside. Clouds of smoke would arise from this ignited toll of death, only to support the theme of this unknown man before the room. Unreal and empty.

He stared towards the only opening into the room. An unwelcoming and hostile room. Filled with non matching shades of gray all around,bright lights from above, the room would be rather spacious, though have a limited ceiling being about 20 ft from bottom to top. He was within this room for quite some time now, no life forms being present other than himself after stepping through his own opening before. He took his time eyeing his surroundings beforehand, realizing this to be nothing more than an underground space, most likely a testing center of some sort. He was probably kidnapped. Armed with his weapons, and aware of his profession and abilities, he was to wait for a challenger and prepare for the battle to come which he made haste to do. Now sharing a cig with himself, before his awaiting battle to happen.

The man with such an identification was of no known past. No prestige or lost, he could be labeled as a “loser” of sorts. At least to the common eye. His average and bland aspects would only cause him to be overlooked, probably a blessing for a man of his workings. The training he’s endured has been nothing but fruitful, he so solemnly reflected as the time passed. He would look up at the reflecting signs above the opening he was facing, and from the opening behind him. The words “Get Ready, Set, Battle” would be displayed and coordinated by a glowing red light over the indicated force. Nothing more could be visually appealing as he eyed the empty room, just space and a short ceiling. He eyed the room one last time before the battle could begin, taking it all in. The coldness this place held as an atmosphere. The spotless shades of gray that would paint the walls, seeming to be scrubbed with more force than the other spots as if the cleaners wanted to hide some shedding, the darkest spot of gray amongst the wall to his back, longer than the usual. Eyeing it for a moment, it could only be a visual implication of his own empty self, no past, potentially no future, the darkest shade of neutral tranquility, the color and patterns he can only sympathize with on a physical level the more he compared the common traits. It was a cold and downright awful place to be in. The grin of mischief and trickery escaping from the smoke.

The man would watch as a young boy would come forth from the shadows of the room he peered into. The assumption he had was correct after all, a battle. The sadistic grin he once held would fall to a once again unreadable expression, as he peered at the boy eyeing him over. A lad who was masked with scars, holding traits of a redhead with silver eyes. A shinobi who possessed unique traits. Were they limited to just his physical appearance, or something more? The man would like to witness such a possibility in hopes of a formidable opponent.

He faced the boy, overlooking his stature and sizing him up at all cost, never removing any contact with his presence. Watching the boy reach for a pouch, this would be his signal that the battle would begin. Letting the cigarette fall to the ground by unlatching the grasp from his lips as the smoke still rose, he would place the lighter on the ground beside the fallen cigarette, its flames fully functional and blazing fully in the area. Its uses still necessary for the plan he had in store. A trademark tool for any smoker in combat, use what you have to your advantage and victory. The beautiful scent of smoke still filling the air, seeming to expand throughout the entire field in seconds. Oh how beautiful the aroma, to a non smoker it would be disgusting, though nothing filled him with more joy other than that. A working plan.

Of course, the protection of this flame would be the utmost cost of this battle if he were to have a good chance, therefore he chose to stay his distance from his opponent in hopes of allowing the flames to lead him to victory. Watching the pulled kunai, he would conduct a few hand seals with his one hand. Breathing in deeply, he would blow out a visible forceful wave of air towards his opponent and its oncoming attack, a simple and measly one at that. Its cutting edge being a curved wave of concentrated air would slice through the current area with speed towards his opponent, though the distance between him and his target was great enough to dodge in time even with its increasing speed and accumulating range widening and becoming longer. It was a horizontal slice, one that knocked the oncoming kunai out of the way with a gigantic thrust. This attack would cut down the boy with ease when connected, slicing him in two horizontally through the walls still keeping intact though gravely injured being made mainly of concrete. Exposing the guts if any of the boy. The flames and smoke would grow larger and wider with ease from this attack, the air around being manipulated with finesse and aggravated more to cause a stimulated assault. His plan was coming along nicely if he would think, still eyes on his opponent and in a battling stance for any sudden movement. The scent of the smoke wouldn't begin to reach the boys area entirely, though it would surely begin to make its way over, and with haste. The flames ever more becoming more dignified.

The beauty of wind based jutsus was so serene. Their power to manipulate the air around would prove to be volatile for his opponent. He watched as the figure ahead of him did not move. He obviously held wish to die quickly from the attack earlier, an evasive opponent would have already began to move. Then he knew the only option he could resort to would be a defensive obstacle of sorts. A earth wall. Basic. The man would have no clear way of seeing the boy use hand seals, as the boy couldn't see him do the same thanks to the concentrated wind slice in the way. Though it was rather obvious the boys intentions as the slice would close off the space between them. The mans steel eyes giving off a bored look. How troublesome indeed.

He would jump into action, using the boys focus on his own problem, and the wind based jutsu he already sent soaring to block the view of his hands as it grew with every passing nanosecond to make an array of hand seals. It seemed the boy in fact was planning to make an earth wall of sorts, how joyful indeed though the expression never escaped his physique. He was most likely already making the hand seals at the distance between him and the slice. The man would release a compacted ball of wind, starting at the size and shape of a relatively small fireball with the matching speed of its dimensions, it would soar through the air with ridiculous speed thanks to its shape. Though its dimensions would inevitably increase throughout the soaring, of course losing speed but gaining forceful power with the trade off. It would easily tower the soon to be wall in dimensions. Though it would not stop there, continuing to increase like the good wind based jutsu it was. It would be easily behind the slice at the perfect moment for his plans, still obstructed from the increasing slice but also compacting itself with more power as it soared. It was not a slashing weapon like its leader, but a forceful weapon perfect for the opportunity to come.

The slice would hit the wall, though the anticipation of the wind slices size to the size of the wall would be off the mark. The dimensions of the slice would be far greater than the wall, though this is not to say the earth wall couldn’t take the force. It was indeed a thick obstacle. Though it weakened the wall immeasurably, the wall was not penetrated to the point the boy can see through the a hole of the wall. It had chunks taken off of it though indeed. Huge ones. The outskirts of the wind blast would slice beside the space that was not covered by the wall, hitting the concrete behind the boy with horrid slashes and everlasting marks. Though the captors of this area would probably patch it up soon enough after this bout. They weren’t worried about that attack, and neither was this ash scented man.

The compacted wind ball blast was where the true attack came. The boy had no idea of the ball that was to come due to the wall obstructing his view, alongside the man's hardened years skillfully using the focus from the boy with his previous hand signing, the slice, and the initial size of the ball hiding its presence. He was far from done however, those many hand seals in anticipation for the boy's movements would prove to be useful, as he released from his mouth three dragon flames towards his opponent moment the wall went tall enough to obstruct the boys view from any fiery red objects he could see and note. They would come at three angles, though soaring above the wall from the wind jutsus coming below. Coming at angles, they would close off the middle, right, and left from above, curving in to land above and behind the earth wall where his opponent hid. They soared at matching high speeds, catching up to the fight up ahead.

The attacks would all come with swift precision. His opponent would not be able to see this all coming, unless he peered his head over the wall, though only to have his head sliced in two. Having to apparently hover below the obstruction, he’d make no mark on the soon to be dragon flaming fire attacks coming from above to attack the hidden foe. The wind bullet after the initial slice weakening the wall incredibly would smash through it with its huge force, rocking the boy back with ease to hit the concrete from behind. This would cause him to have his head and body smack back, in a state of fear and crippling emotions at the sudden attack, losing his breathe as well from the sudden hit. From there, the dragon flamed attacks would feast their eyes upon their prey, seeming to be dripping with fiery juices from their crooked mouths igniting the boy in a three way feat, to burn him alive with joy. The everlasting bonfire from the three dragons erupting upon contact with the boy, flames overtaking the portion of that small area.

The man would sit back after sending off the flames to do their work once the wall would obstruct any view, keeping in mind the rising smoke taking over the field around them. So sweet. It was almost hypnotizing. Able to take advantage of the senses of a person even, if they so dared to possess such senses. He remarked to himself that the plan was going smoothly, the boy obviously behind the wall and not even thinking of doing something different like going underground. The scarred boy being aware of the attacks coming was close to none due to the blocking view, alongside the air slices hissing loud sound. The accompanying sound and feeling of rumbling earth thanks to the wall would also help his plans. Such loud noises would block off any other sounds overtaking his ears.

He would note all of this as he breathed in the loving scents. Reminiscing that same shaded gray area, seeming to stick out like a sore thumb, their characteristics were the same indeed. Comparing their darkened statures, the emotions they held filled with lust though emptiness. This was the canvas which harbored nothingness. A Reaper, unable to truly feel or assume anything, lost within the middle world between those who were loved and talented, and those who were hated and looked down upon. He shared both traits, yet in fact shared none. Belonging nowhere, though able to go anywhere.

He watched the area in front of him with seemingly intrigued eyes, to see the upcoming bonfire. The remaining wind slices that couldn't be shielded by the wall sealing him in his place, unable to jump towards either left nor right unless he wished to be sliced in two. This wouldn’t give away the Reapers plan however to the boy, it was what was going to happen even if he didn’t do anything. With the upcoming force ball of a thousand tornadoes to take him from off his kneeling position and slam back into the wall, shocked and filled with anxiety from the sudden attack. Even if the boy was to get off the hand seals he wanted to counterattack with such as exploding his earth wall to cause hazardous shards, the wall was already damaged enough to where the ball would push those weakened and small shards out of the way with ease. If that was to happen however, they would only be pushed against the boy, all the sharp particles and shards to overtake the boy due to the explosion not able to take much space before being manipulated by the towering ball. He would be even more weakened than before with bare rock hitting him with the force of the ball, with the explosion being bare rock and sharp objects to cut.

Probably unable to move for some good seconds, gasping for air on hands and knees or even simply dazed as all people would be after an attack like that. After not expecting such an action even for a battle hardened warrior, though the dragons wouldn’t give him those needed seconds. Raining down from above in three directions to block off his aerial escape, the dragons would have already made contact due to catching up in time once he hit the walls behind him and fell to the ground. Closing in from all main directions to blast into him and incinerate his body, leaving nothing behind but ashes. Ah the sweet ashes indeed. A Reaper who only left behind ash.