Chiharu concentrated on the genjutsu and wondered what Vex would do, but never got to see, as Vex attempted to kick Kazuma and thus got hit by his rotation jutsu, breaking the genjutsu. The Special Jounin saw the Hyuga glance towards the edge of the bridge where the fake her had been and smirked at being able to still get a reaction, if only a slight one, from him.

Settling into a defensive stance yet again, the medic-nin nodded as her teamate placed himself between her and their opponent, asking if she was okay. "Thanks to you Kazu. How are you doing?" She glanced over his body quickly and didn't see any injuries yet. She knew he was still good on chakra as well, about the same as her own. Pouting a little she complained, "How am I supposed to help you if you don't even get hurt? Jeez..." She wished she could help more in battle, but she was primarily a medic-nin...

This Special Jounin still had a few tricks up her sleeves though. Taking a step to the right to ensure that Kazuma wouldn't be in her way, the kunoichi then took in a large breath into her lungs and mouth. Chiharu then made the appropriate hand signs before a twister was unleashed from her mouth, gusting straight for Vex. While the lavender haired girl couldn't control the wind jutsu any longer, it would keep going until it hit something or dispersed, hitting the genin or forcing her to move to dodge the attack.

Jutsu:

Spoiler:

Remaining Chakra: 160

This is what Vex had seen, but is was only mere seconds before Kazuma's rotation collided with her assault; the jolt and pain snapped her back to reality. She was only halfway aware as she was repelled backwards in the air and landed sprawled on her back, in her berserked state; she was even more confused by the actions... hadn't she moments ago just cut Chiharu's hands off and let her fall?

She rolled over on her stomach and glanced around to see Chiharu release a small twisted at her; Vex crawled to her feet and ran towards it instead of running away. Suddenly flames released from her legs and launched her forwards and upwards, she leapt over the twister and back down on top of where both Kazuma and Chiharu were now standing.

To her in her confused state, this was a matter of life and death. Her survival berserked instincts were in full motion and she couldn't rationalize the situation. Even despite this, she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with the situation for some unknown reason, these were her enemies right? She brought both weapons down as she neared the descending location of the two SPC Jounin; Wrath at Chiharu and Chastity at Kazuma- both weapons going straight down for their heads.

Her feelings of hesitance caused her to shift her intended goal and both weapons landed harmlessly on each side of the two SPC Jounin. She blinked twice and even forgot to do her customary berserk roar because she was so bewildered by her own body's reaction.

Why am I doing this? I don't want to kill them! This test isn't necessary anymore!

She screamed this in her head as she fought to overtake her insanity state of mind; recovering her sanity was never a easily or painless thing. It was akin to breathing in water constantly while trying to take in air- nearly futile unless she had a reason for doing so. Her spirit, Chastity wasn't appearing though, even though she wanted it to to help her recover... why not?

---

Word count- 344

jutsu:

"Well sorry I make your job kinda boring. I'll work on that." Kazuma said with a quick smile at Chiharu before he turned back to face their foe. It looked like she had broken from the genjutsu and did not seem happy. Chiharu, meanwhile had released a twister on an exhaled breath. The wind speed towards the genin but she leaped over, her weapons aimed at him and his partner. He raised his kunai, ready to intercept the blow from the steel fan, but it never came. Both of Vex's weapons seemed to miss their targets.

Kazuma looked at the genin, not sure exactly what she was trying to do. In her other attacks, she had held nothing back. This sudden stop was was just strange. "You ok there Vex?" he inquired, keeping an eye on her sword to make sure this wasn't some type of ploy.

Chiharu couldn't help the crooked grin that spread across her face as Kazuma stated that he would work on making her job less boring. "I'll hold you to that ~" She teased as she watched Vex run straight towards her twister and then flames spouted from her feet and she suddenly began to move much faster, allowing her to even jump over the twister.

Gritting her teeth, the medic-nin saw that the genin was sprinting straight towards her partner and herself, weapons raised and quickly sprinted into a position behind Kazuma as she saw he was trying to block the attack with a kunai and raised her own kunai to help him block while in her other hand, she was about to cast a pain suppression jutsu so that the recoil from blocking the large fan wouldn't be detrimental to them.

But she never had to use it as just as the weapons were about to come crashing down...they were dropped to the side. Looking over her fellow Special Jounin's shoulder she saw the blank expression on Vex's face as she blinked. She still looked rather...berserk still, but at Kazuma's question she began to wonder. But didn't trust the girl simply for the fact that she still had her hands on her weapons.

Her voice was light though as she asked, "Are you done sparring for now Vex-chan?" Then in a whispered tone only meant for her partner she suggested, "Maybe we should give her some space Kazu-kun."

OOC:(lol at the idea of either of you blocking Chastity or Wrath with a Knai- you would have been split in half like a watermelon. You realize both weapons are long as 4ft or more and weight a good twenty pounds, the fan is like Uchiha Madara's battle fan and Wrath is Guts' large sword from Berserk)

She continued to stand in place, using all of her might to keep her body from moving as she sorted through her emotions and thoughts. Slowly her eyes turned back into their "normal" white color and her hair took on a more natural beauty. Her demeanor softened and her emotional strength was more or less completely gone now, she had little desire to fight back or even stand. Before when she fought the mysterious masked man, she hadn't even resisted the urge until she wanted to... but now it had been much more urgen and she had spent all of her strength on regaining her sanity.

Both weapons were lowered and she stabbed them in the ground on either side of her and she willfully let go of the rage within her; she couldn't use the weapons to support her without influencing her, she would rather fall and lay on the ground until some strength returned to her. Slowly she tumbled towards the rock floor of the Serpent Wall.

After she would fall, she would breathe heavy and explain.

My weapons, their a gift and a curse from my father. I'm of the Xanadu clan and the swords I posses are Wrath and Chastity. Using them grants me immense power but at a heavy price, with Wrath- I lose sanity and go in a berserk state where I attack anyone around me and whoever is in my way, regardless of friend or foe.

Chastity requires a lot of chakra and makes battle for me a very sort ordeal, afterwards, Im about useless.

---

Word count- 262

The change in the situation was very evident. The genin looked very confused and seemed to be searching for something. Kazuma heard his teammate's suggestion in his ear and he nodded. He took a very cautious step backwards, keeping his eye on Vex, not wanting to disturb her. He pushed Chiharu backwards as they continued to back up. As they did, Vex was reverting back to her normal state. She no longer appeared to have the same type of ferocity that had surrounded her before. He had just reached a point that he deemed far enough for him to react to any type of offensive, when Vex dug her weapons into the ground and then fell down, exhausted.

Kazuma rushed over to her to make sure that she still conscious. Upon reaching her side, he realized that she was talking, telling them who she really was. Kazuma had only heard stories and rumors about the infamous Xanadu clan, none of them were good. He wasn't surprised that Vex hadn't fully introduced herself earlier. He gently picked her up and moved her into a sitting position on the wall. "Just take it easy for a bit Vex. There's no need to throw everything out there all at once." he said with smile. "Haru, is there anything you can do for her?" he asked his friend as he stood and looked back at the terrible weapons that manifested the Xanadu legacy. "You carry quite the burden with you Vex."

{OOC: It's happened before canonically in Naruto}

Chiharu followed Kazuma's lead as he began to slowly back up, gently pushing her back with his spare hand. But then he rushed forward to check on Vex when she collapsed under her own weight. Sighing, the medic-nin wasn't surprised. Her chakra was very low and that was never healthy for anyone. She thought that the girl was going to pass out, but instead she kept herself conscious via monologue, explaining her weapons and clan.

The Special Jounin's expression became more and more serious as she went on, her lips pulling into a frown as she thought. Xanadu sounded familiar...like an old story or legend. But Vex's condition was very real. As her teammate helped the genin prop herself against the wall's wall, he asked if there was anything she could do for her. Folding her arms in real consideration, Chiharu stated, "Short of destroying those weapons?...." She knew it was extremely unlikely that the white haired girl would agree to this so tried again.

"Each time you use them, you risk losing your sanity completely Vex. You need to limit their use as much as possible. I understand that they are precious to you, but you shouldn't rely on their strength as your own. I'm sure you are more than capable without them and if not, then you should be. If they deplete your chakra this much then unless you manage to defeat your energy before your chakra runs out, you're signing your own death warrant."

Chiharu's expression was absolutely serious as she met Vex's eyes as she explained and then went on, "You said that you attack friend and foe alike as well. You don't operate just on your own. You'll have teammates and comrades when out on some missions. How can they trust you when you might kill them at any moment? You have responsibilities as a ninja of Boufuugakure." Her words may have been harsh, but they needed to be said obviously. Vex had already stated she hadn't grown up in Boufuu, so she likely wouldn't know what academy shinobi came in knowing already if her father hadn't taught her.

OOC:Indeed Chi-chan <3 but you gotta consider Vex's current strength and speed compared to both of yours. Hers was A Rank at that moment.)

Destroying her weapons? It didn't seem like such a bad idea, but her weapons were the link to her past and her father's dark legacy he had bestowed upon her. As much as she hated it, the weapons were the only thing to define who she was; being of the Xanadu clan she couldn't use chakra efficiently like other shinobi. Any skilled jutsu required time to siphon the ethereal chakra from her spirits, thus why her clan relied heavily on the cursed weapons for direct combat.

Everything Chiharu was saying was true, but Vex had been raised to survive, against enemies, her father and her own self. Survivng and losing herself in the rush of battle was the most natural thing she knew, holding back for comrades was not something she was accustomed to- she saw it as a weakness to rely on others... but recently after her battle with the mysterious man, Vex had convinced herself to find trustable allies.

I'll try harder to not rely on my weapons so much, but sometimes I can't afford to be carefeul. I can't control normal chakra as easily as other shinobi, the Xanadu clan requires us to siphon ethereal chakra from our spirit halves.

She staggered and stood up on her own two feet but swayed somewhat. She was a stubborn girl, she had staggered away from the mysterious Shinobi's S Rank water attack anyways; a little chakra depletion wasn't too much to worry about- her biggest concern was her lack of mental energy. She was afraid she would say something unnecessary to her two new friends and allies.

---

Word count- 268

Kazuma leaned on the wall next to his friend as she spoke to Vex, feeling that this sounded more like a tongue lashing than a medical diagnosis. "That isn't exactly what I had in mind doctor." the shinobi said with a smile. Then he caught on to the serious tone in Chiharu's voice and he saw a side of the violet haired kunoichi that he didn't often see. But, he understood what she was saying. He was always taught to protect his comrades in battle and didn't know if he could trust someone who couldn't control their urges in high priority missions.

After Vex made her promise to the med-ninja, Kazuma spoke up. "This is why it's good to have teammates Vex. They help cover up your weaknesses and make you stronger because of it." He  glanced back towards Chiharu as he spoke. "They make you want to become a better ninja so that you don't let them down and so that you can keep them safe. And I know it sounds sappy but trust me when I say it works. You have us as friends now. So maybe, if you are willing, we can help you get some other friends if you are feeling up to it." He watched her climb up to her feet and saw that she didn't have much left in her. He was hoping that Chiharu might have had some type of jutsu to give her a bit more energy but at this rate, she would need to be helped down the wall.

Chiharu rolled her eyes dramatically when Kazuma stated that her lecture wasn't what he had in mind and she threw her hands up exclaiming, "I'm not a miracle worker! I can't heal crazy. I'm just teasing Vex-chan." She didn't want the genin to take any offense to her joke. The medic-nin felt a little better as the white haired girl stated that she would attempt to lessen her use of her weapons, but that she also had to rely on them. Her explanation of her unusual chakra control was intriguing and it piqued Chiharu's interest in the Xanadu clan. But perhaps now wasn't the time to play twenty questions with the younger kunoichi.

At her partner's talk of the pros of having teammates and friends, the lavender haired woman nodded brightly with a sweet smile after she glanced at Kazuma. Looking back at Vex, Chiharu's grin faded as she saw the girl swaying as she stood and approached the genin before gently putting her hand on the back of her head so she couldn't back away and pressed her forehead to the other girl's. "Mmm, you feel a little warm and you're pretty pale Vex-chan. I can't heal you though because there's nothing wrong with you really. You just need to eat, drink, rest and just take it easy for the next day or so. If you're in any pain though I can help with that." The medic-nin offered as she stepped back out of the white haired kunoichi's personal space.

She didn't really get the feeling Chiharu was teasing her, it felt more like a verbal lashing; she didn't mind though because she knew Chiharu was concerned for her. Kazuma was also concerned and she didn't mind much, which was a surprise because she usually hated all males, he seemed different somehow.

Suddenly Chiharu was there with a kind hand in her and her face so very close to her own; normally she would have had the mental fortitude to not blush... but she was emotionally spent and blushed three shades of red as the other girl checked her forehead. She pulled back after a moment when Chiharu was convinced she had a right temperature. Vex suddenly became a but shy and turned her head away as her face blushed. Why was she feeling so shy and submissive suddenly?

Uuuhmmmm.. I think maybe I'm strong enough now if all three of us want to go and eat at a food shop or something?

It was a first for Vex, not blushing at a woman, but at inviting a man to join her for a meal. She hadn't eaten with a male since the death of her father; she just avoided mist others, especially at mealtimes.

---

Word count- 205

Kazuma held his postion on the wall as he watched Chiharu check Vex's temperature. He gave a small smile as he watched her preform in her own area of expertise. He also noted that Vex seemed very flushed as she was being examined and let out a little chuckle. Kazuma stood up straight as Chiharu gave out her prescription and Vex invited them both out for food. Kazuma was more surprised than anything. Is this really the sexist girl that I have heard all these rumors about? he thought. "Well that was actually the reason that I came looking for Haru today. I'm starving and would love to go." he said, his smile growing into a grin as he turned towards Chiharu expectantly. "You're going to join us, right?"

Chiharu noted Vex's blush and submissive nature but didn't comment on it, simply giving the girl her space. At the genin's suggestion of getting something to eat and offered both of the Special Jounin's accompany her, the medic-nin's eyebrows rose in surprise as she glanced at Kazuma before covering it up with a quick smile as her teammate answered and asked if she would go as well.

"You couldn't leave me behind even if you wanted to!" The lavender haired girl exclaimed as she stretched her arms up in the air before folding them behind her head as she thought out loud, "Mmm what should we eat though? Fruit parfaits, vegetable stew, sushi, ramen, salad~ MMM everything sounds so good! What do you like to eat Vex-chan?" She questioned as she turned towards the genin before glancing at Kazuma and teasing, "Don't ask Kazu-kun he'll just want to eat at a candy store hehe."

OOC:(Sorry you two, it was not my intention to go so long without replying. Things just have been rough lately and I completely forgot it was my turn to post :)

It was settled then, they would go and eat something together, Vex was a bit nervous because she so rarely eat near anyone; eating with two friends suddenly was a big step for her. She latched her two weapons onto the narrow metal ring on her back to ensure they were snug and then pointed to the stone flight of stairs that led far below and down into the busy section of Boufuugakure.

Okay... well, I'm not too familiar with the restaurants or food shops around here. Most of the time, I just eat at a small ramen stand and buy chocolate kiss sticks at the candy shop.

She left the rest open-ended for the two seniors to figure out, she left the place where they would eat up to them... she was curious as to how and what they preferred to eat. Vex wasn't a picky eater herself, but she did prefer chocolate sticks over much of anything else. She headed for the stairs after they had decided on a place with them likely close behind her as she yelled.

Last one there has to pay the bill!

it was a bit sudden and unexpected but she had taken a playful ire to her two new friends and was thoroughly enjoying herself, especially with teasing them like this.

---

Word count-219

OOC:(So is this thread being continued? I see the two of you log in sporatically- I understand Chi-chan is moving I think... but it's your turn Kazuma)

{OOC: Sorry about the late post guys. I just finished super week aka hell. Haven't had much time to do much but talk to people on site. My apologies.}


Kazuma rolled his eyes but let the comment about his sweet tooth slide, preferring to plan their destination. Once they had decided and Vex issued her challenge, laughed openly as Vex started rushing down the wall back down towards the village. "Well, it looks like we got ourselves a very energetic friend Haru." He watched the girl and noted that the fatigue didn't seem to be affecting her at the moment. "I guess we should start after her before we end up being stuck with the bill." he said running after the genin, eager to get some food and have a conversation with his friends that didn't involve his life being on the line

OOC:(Well, I guess I've waited long enough to expect a reply from Chi-chan :( So I'll be exiting this thread: if she comes back and wants to continue, I'll pick it back up)

{Exit}