((22:09, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 24 using 1d20+10. Ninjutsu Defense. Successful.))

Upon feeling the cut to her neck, Nori could instantly feel the blood start to slide down her throat. She growled and gulped soundlessly. This wasn't good. If she didn't do something fast, she could bleed out and then it would really be over. She wouldn't be able to move on. She looked up to her team in the stands and then back down to Harusame. She had noticed the way the water shield had blocked her clone's attack, but she had also noticed that it was growing smaller, which could only mean that it was growing weaker. It wouldn't last much longer, but then again, neither could she. She had to end this thing quick before she lost all of her blood and her consciousness, which meant that she only had a matter of minutes. Nori gritted her teeth and used her head to hit against Harusame's to get the girl away from her and drop her kunai.

"I'm...a lot stronger than I look...Harusame...san... I won't go down so easily..." she uttered before she gulped again. "It's funny...you can't even...use a real attack against me...to win... I think... a part of you knows...I'm tougher than you are...so you are taking the easy...way out and using a kunai... You are a coward..." She couldn't exert herself by talking so much or else she would bleed out faster. She had to penetrate that shield and cause it to break. It was only water, but that shield wasn't as strong as it used to be. It was weaker. Nori turned her head slightly and looked at her clone, who was awaiting for a command. She just stared into her eyes before giving her a nod. The clone looked to Harusame and jumped away from her before she brought up her hands and did her hands seals for her next attack. "Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire!" she called out before a massive array of fireballs were sent in Harusame's direction. However, instead of just going straightforward, they spread out to hit the water shield from all angles as well as those water chains, but that wasn't all. Inside each fireball, shuriken were hidden for a surprise attack. Harusame wouldn't be able to avoid them all. It would be quite difficult.

((22:34, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 20 using 1d20+8. Ninjutsu Attack.))

14:52, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 14 using 1d20+11.  Ninjutsu Defense.

Sakuya reeled back from the surprise headbutt, bringing a hand up to the spot on her head that was bruised from the hit. She still managed to hold on to her kunai, having learned to keep a good grip on her tools when it comes to defending herself.

"Go ahead and call me anything you like!" Sakuya retorted as she brought up what remained of the water shield that was used for defending earlier. She did not move away from her position, instead keeping close to the ground to maintain a smaller profile against the shower of attacks. The shield eventually gave out against the flames, with shurikens making their way towards her. She could only manage to take down most that were going for her head and body, but those aimed at the arms and legs made their cut and grazes and leaving stinging sensations for her chakra to slowly numb and heal.

She remembered how some of her classmates back in the academy would make fun of her for not learning techniques mean for attack. She would find some comfort from her teacher then, as well as from her parents, assurance that there is no hurry to do so. What is important is knowing her priorities and protecting things that are of great value to her.

"This fight is scary, but I am still here, am I not!?" Sakuya exclaimed at Nori, standing up once again and then invoking her Wind Running technique on herself to make her body lighter and easier to move. Tears have welled up a little around her eyes as she did her best to hold back from the injuries that have been inflicted on her.

"If you can't tell how the battle is faring then don't expect the answer from me!" the young genin added as she moved to a defensive posture. Most of the water chains holding Nori in place have come off from the scattered attack that was unleashed, but there were still a number holding on and following Sakuya's command of squeezing the Konohagakure genin for all their worth.

Sakuya sent off another volley of water chains at Nori and her clone. At the same time, she is silently counting the seconds. She knew that the wound she inflicted on Nori becomes more and more dangerous as time passes without treatment. The fact that her opponent is forcing herself in this fight makes it even worse - Sakuya had added that into consideration to her counting for Nori's time limit.

14:53, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 19 using 1d20+12.  Ninjutsu Attack.

((01:44, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 12 using 1d20+10. Ninjutsu Defense. Unsuccessful.))

Nori was thankful that she at least managed to get Harusame away from her when she butted her head against her. At least she couldn't her anymore. Not that the wound she had already wasn't doing its own damage. She only had a matter of minutes, but she wasn't about to give up this fight. When she saw the clone manage to take out the shield and cut her opponent with the shuriken, she smiled. At least the attack managed to get that shield down, which was what she had hoped for. Nori knew her ninjutsu attacks weren't the strongest because her taijutsu was more style, so they proved to be more effective. Now that she was going to get that opportunity, well at least her clone would, she could deal some damage. This girl wasn't going down easy, but then again, she never expected her to. But she knew the girl was also getting weaker herself, so it was anyone's game at this point.

"I really am glad...that you are still fighting...Harusame-san... I wanted your best...and you're...giving that to me... You're pretty brave for that..." she replied and gulped again before she saw felt some of the chains come off of her, releasing some of that pressure from around her. One of them being from around her arm. Nori brought up a shaky hand and pressed it against the wound on her neck before she started to cough again. However, it didn't take too long for her opponent to bring those chains back and wrap back around her. Well, at least she would be putting pressure against the wound. She looked towards her clone that had managed to get grazed by Harusame's chain, but still made her way towards her opponent. "Leaf Rising Wind!" she shouted. She flashed stepped towards Harusame and bent down low in front of her, attempting to deliver a round house kick to her legs, which would lead to her delivering a few hard punches and kicking her high up into the air.

((02:03, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 19 using 1d20+12. Taijutsu Attack.))
This message was last edited by the player at 05:13, Mon 14 Mar 2016.

[Private to Yamada Nori: Cut wasn't deep enough to puncture the throat. Only enough that Nori's artery is bleeding from the outside.]

18:30, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 28 using 1d20+9.  Taijutsu Defense.

There was still plenty of water to work with from the arena, and Sakuya made use of it to immediately summon a wall of water chains to interrupt Nori's kick. She still can't get the rhythm of Nori's movements right, but she could at least guess where one attack would usually go by now.

"You should stop now, Yamada-san..." Sakuya said solemnly as she wiped the tears welling in her eyes with the torn sleeve of her jacket, "Pushing yourself too hard is going to make the bleeding worse. I intentionally cut only at the artery and avoided damaging anything past that and your skin..."

With that, the chains then wrap around Nori once again. However, the Konohagakure this time was forcefully slammed with her back against the ground.

"If you let the bleeding continue long enough, paramedics are going to have a hard time to have you recover," Sakuya said as she sat on the ground to rest herself, "Your village and mine may have superior medical ninjas, including my parents. But every time wasted not properly treating that wound of yours will bring you closer to death. I don't want that to happen, and will treat that wound of yours if you only agree to surrender now."

Seeing that her opponent would not give up on her own, Sakuya figured she should at least explain her assessment of Nori's condition. Will it be convincing enough? Sakuya hoped so. She felt that if it were not for this fight, they might be able to meet on better terms.

18:30, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 31 using 1d20+12.  Ninjutsu Attack.

[Private to Harusame Sakuya: OOC: Hey! Thanks for catching that. I just thought with a wound like that, she maybe be coughing up a little blood. I'll be sure to change it after this post!]

((21:43, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 22 using 1d20+10. Ninjutsu Defense. Unsuccessful.))

The attempt to get Harusame down to the ground had failed and Nori cursed under her breath at yet another failed attempt. She knew she couldn't have her clone doing this for very much longer. For her, attacks proved to be more effective when she was the one delivering them. Her clone could only do so much for her. "I suppose you think I should be grateful to you for sparing me," she said before she felt the chains wrap around her again and slam her onto her back on the ground, causing her to grunt and let out a cough from the wind that was knocked out of her. She turned slightly onto her side and put more pressure on her neck wound.

"Harusame-san, I am sure that, like me, you have always worked very hard to get to this point. I have trained so much from morning until night. I have trained until my hands bled. I have trained to the point of exhaustion. I know what it is like to push myself to the breaking point and this little wound isn't going to stop me from doing what I need to do to make it to the next round. This is not just an exam to me. This is a time for me to prove to myself and my team that I can do this. That I'm not weak. I will not give up, do you understand me?!" Nori exclaimed and turned her eyes to look at Harusame. "I'd rather die than go back to my village with my head hung in defeat. I will go with my head held high and have pride in what I have accomplished. You want to do the same, don't you? Why not truly fight me like these exams intended and give it all you got? What satisfaction are you getting by just wrapping me up in these chains and sitting there? Fight me!"

In saying that, Nori's clone appeared behind Harusame. "Strong Fist!" she exclaimed as her curled up fist attempted to come into contact with the side of her opponent's head.

((22:11, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 18 using 1d20+12. Taijutsu Attack.))

13:34, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 36 using 1d20+21.  Taijutsu Focused Defense.

"Fighting isn't the only thing ninjas are supposed to do!" Sakuya replied as she willed a wall of water chains around her, interrupting the incoming fist swung by Nori's clone. The chains have also caught the clone that had been consistently striking at her and was pinned to the floor.

"A ninja should be able to gauge the situation and act accordingly," Sakuya said as she continued to observe Nori, "Are there changes in the situation? Are there reinforcements in the enemy forces? Strength alone can't handle everything."

"Are you hoping that by pressing on like this, a miracle will happen?" Sakuya asked as continued to count mentally, "That somehow you could pull a miracle off and turn things around? If that is the case, then you would have already beaten me a few minutes ago."

"I'm not a fighter like you," Sakuya said as she looked to the clone, making sure that the chains would hold it in place, "I don't possess as much physical strength compared to the others, neither do I possess the speed most ninjas of my age have. My techniques revolve around making sure people stay alive, so people important to them will be assured of their return."

[Private to Yamada Nori: No attack here, dedicated all rolls to simply defending.]

Nori simply stayed in place on the ground, seeing her clone also pinned to the floor by Harusame's chains. Well, this was proving to be difficult. She couldn't help but wonder if the strength of her clone's attacks were weakened because of her own state. None of the attacks she had to seemed to have been working. She couldn't give up, though. She just couldn't. She had to get to the next stage. She just listened to the other girl speak and said nothing at first. Just stayed silent and looked up at the sky. "You think you have it all figured out, don't you? You, a person that only prides herself on protecting herself, can never understand a person like me," she said and closed her eyes. "If you feel that your purpose in life is to help keep people alive, then why the hell are you here? What do you have to prove by being here, Harusame-san? I have everything to prove by taking part in these exams. Since I was a kid, I've had to prove myself. I've had to work hard and push myself to be the best I could be. I am sure that you have felt that same way by trying to do your best to help people. You want to protect the hearts of the families who have someone out there fighting and bring back their loved ones safely, right? Well, I...I have things I need to protect, too."

Nori turned herself back onto her back before she mustered up the strength to actually sit up and stare into Harusame's eyes. "My parents faced hardship because of me and have been trying to make a better life for me, even though it hasn't been the easiest thing. They worked hard for everything they have built and I...I need to protect that. I need to protect them and what they built, but you...you are preventing me from doing that, Harusame-san," she said. "Fighting for me is more than just throwing punches at each other. It's more than finding out who is the strongest. I've done nothing, but fight my whole life because it's who I am. If I let an injury like this get the best of me, then I might as well go back to my village with my tail between my legs. I am not going to admit defeat to you because you are telling me to. I'm a fighter just like my parents are fighters, so I'm asking you as a person that has something or someone to protect, please let me out of these chains so I can fight again. I need to go back knowing that even if I do fail these exams, that I put in all I got and that I didn't give up."

[Private to Harusame Sakuya: Couldn't really find a way to attack yet since Nori and her clone are pinned down ><]
This message was last edited by the player at 22:34, Mon 14 Mar 2016.

Sakuya let out a sigh as she listened to Nori explain her story. The medic-in-training would admit she felt sorry for the circumstances that led to why Nori is here now, but feeling sorry for the opponent is not something one can leisurely do when in a mission or if war comes. She lets the water chains binding the clone tighten to the point it forces the clone to pop, then carefully approached Nori and steering clear from her head. The taijutsu-using genin could still use her fire-based ninjutsu and it would be difficult to deal with up close.

"If I let you out, doesn't that invalidate what I have worked hard for up to this point, Yamada-san?" Sakuya asked as she soon sat down behind Nori. With a manipulation of her chakra, Sakuya willed the chains to force Nori to sit cross-legged with arms to her side. One of the chains wrapped around Nori's torso pulls her a bit forward to keep the girl from getting any slack.

"So are you fine losing your life right here, Yamada-san?" Sakuya asked Nori in all seriousness that she could muster, "Is it that easy to throw your life on the line and say that the only way you know how to live is to fight?"

"That cut on your neck is not a minor wound," Sakuya added as she took her kunai out, "My water chains won't cover that wound - it would be like bleeding underwater. That wound is on your artery, a major path for your blood from your heart to other parts of the body. If you continue to fight and struggle, your heart will beat harder, and that wound will bleed even more."

"Is winning this battle in the chuunin exam worth dying for, Yamada-san?" Sakuya asked as she pointed her kunai against Nori's back, "If you lose here and still live, wouldn't that mean you have another chance at participating the chuunin exam with more experience and skill? If you die right here, would you still be able to become a chuunin afterward?"

Sakuya doesn't know why she would ask these kinds of questions towards Nori. Maybe it was seeing those who were not as lucky in the past chuunin exams that brought memories to her mind. When the time comes, will she have to decide who to save and who to forsake? She pushes such thoughts aside for the moment. She could ask such questions later from her sensei.

"If you become a chuunin, that means there will be genin following your orders some day," Sakuya spoke up after a brief pause, "Are you going to ask them to fight to the death too? Or will you decide to fight to the death to hold back a foe that is stronger than you so those under your care can escape? If you end up in a mission dealing with someone you can't win against, what will you do?"

Sakuya mentally admitted these are thoughts that bothered her as well when chuunin exams approached, and have set such thoughts aside in the hopes of dealing with them when the exams are over. She felt she was being mean, pressing her own worries against her opponent. Maybe she was hoping for answers for such questions, to see if there is anyone here who worried of the same things as she did.

"I am not undermining your abilities, Harusame-san. I have no doubt that you worked just as hard to get to this point, but what is it exactly that you are trying to accomplish by being in these exams? Surely you know what kind of exams they are, don't you? Do you think that even if you get past this point, that you won't have to fight genin that are even stronger than I am? What are you going to do then? Chain them up, too? I guarantee you that they won't go easy on you," Nori told Harusame before she was forced to sit cross legged with her arms at her side. She just stayed silent as the girl continued to talk and ask her all these questions. She lightly sighed.

"I already told you before, didn't I? To me, I'd rather die from this wound than to give up on something I have worked extremely hard for. You only think of these exams as just an exam, but to me, they are worth much more than that and I am not about to tell you over and over again about what passing these exams means to me. If you really think these exams are just a way to throw your life away and fight for nothing more than to becoming a chunnin, then you shouldn't be here because every single one of us here has something to prove. If not to others, than to themselves. It's pride, Harusame-san. It's not all about failing and coming back to take them again next year. To someone like me and I'm sure to others here today, if you fail these exams once, then you might as well never come back." She closed her eyes and just grew silent. She tightened her fists at her sides.

"I have had sensei's in my life that have taught me many things since I was a kid. I trusted them. I looked up to them. I respected them. They have helped me get to where I am today. I have had teammates that have encouraged me and helped me grow stronger not just as a ninja, but as a person. I can't say that I have had much influence on them in return, but part of me hopes that I have. The kind of team I have...there are still things that we are learning about each other and sometimes we don't always get along, but we help each other in our own ways. I truly believe we are helping each other grow and if I were to have a team like that some day, I would want them to inherit the values I learned from my own team as a genin. To have respect for each other. To work together as a team. To never give up even when it seems like things are impossible. You can't accomplish anything just on your own. The world doesn't really work like that." Nori turned her head slightly and looked back at Harusame behind her. "I want to grow stronger. I want to protect them. And if it ever came down to me dying for them to continue living and becoming stronger, I think that would be a sacrifice worth paying. After all, they are my friends and my family." Nori leaned in just a little closer to Harusame and looked her dead in the eyes. "So if you aren't going to let me out of these chains and kick your ass, than you might as well let me die right here because I'm not admitting defeat to you or anyone else."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:22, Tue 15 Mar 2016.

".... Fine..." Sakuya replied as she sighed and finally stood up, taking a leap back before activating the technique used for the water chains, "It looks like you won't listen even if a Kage or a god would explain it to you, so I'll stop talking."

The chains pulled Nori up, raising her high into the air for as much as Sakuya could manage. Once reaching the highest point, the chains suddenly pull the bound genin downwards in an attempt to slam her hard against the ground. Sakuya continued to pay attention to Nori's condition, at the same time glancing towards their referee to see how far she should press her attack.

09:26, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 39 using 1d20+23.  Ninjutsu Focused Attack.

[Private to Harusame Sakuya: Hey! Was curious to see if the ninjutsu/taijutsu focused attacks/defenses you have been using give you higher rolls? I just notice how you have been adding points in the 20 range to get higher rolls. Wasn't sure if that was because they are focused attacks/defenses or not. Haha.]

((18:53, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 27 using 1d20+10. Ninjutsu Defense.))

Nori had thought for a moment that Harusame was going to release her or at least loosen the chains from around her when she had stopped talking, but all she did was jump back and raise her up from the ground. She just looked down at her before he she felt herself brought down towards the ground. She closed her eyes and prepared herself for impact before she hit the ground. She began to cough and wiggled her fingers within the chains. She needed to get her hands together somehow. These chains didn't seem to be as tight as they were before, so maybe she could... Nori slowly strained her hands towards each other and even though it was difficult, she managed to at least get a few hand seals in.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" she exclaimed before she pulled her head back slightly and expelled a large fireball from her mouth towards Harusame.

[Private to Yamada Nori: Was trying to think of what to do, so I just did a fireball attack. Lol. Not sure if it'll work.]

((19:09, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 21 using 1d20+8. Ninjutsu Attack.))

[Private to Yamada Nori: They are indeed focused attacks/defense, figured I should just go all out on attacking and seeing where that leads us. :P]

No defense

Sakuya did not move away when the fireball came. The heat was really painful, but is still bearable due to the training she was put through for the past weeks. She focused instead on knocking Nori out forcefully with her technique. The chains swung Nori around in the air, this time doing circles to build up momentum before slamming her hard on the ground once again.

11:02, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 40 using 1d20+23.  Ninjutsu Focused Attack.

[Private to Harusame Sakuya: OOC: Oh okay. I thought so. I'm just wondering, how are you adding 20+ points to your rolls? 'cause I don't know if I'll be able to efficiently have successful attacks/defenses because my rolls are most likely going to be much lower than yours every time. Are you getting those points because they are focused attacks/defenses, so the points are higher? Was a bit confused, so I wanted to ask. Lol. Oh! And for your water chains, are they mainly just binding her ankles and wrists? Probably should have asked that sooner :P I ask because I wanted to see if there was a way for Nori to be mobile enough to use any kind of taijutsu. Still trying to figure out if there is a way to break the chains.]

((20:56, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 18 using 1d20+10. Ninjutsu Defense. Unsuccessful.))

Nori couldn't help but wonder just why Harusame didn't bother defending herself and just let the fireball hit her. Wasn't her primary defense that water shield of her's? She saw that it wasn't as effective as she thought, but at least it hit her, right? "Damn," she muttered under her breath before she felt herself swung around in the air and slammed hard into the ground. It knocked the wind out of her that caused her to turn onto her side and start to catch her breath. Last time she was able to break these chains, she used her fireball attack. Maybe it would work again. Instead of aiming her attack at Harusame, she could instead, aim them at the chains and see if the explosion would be good enough to break them again.

Nori slowly turned herself onto her back, using all the strength she could muster into sitting up and bringing her hands together again. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" she exclaimed before she gathered what chakra she could and tilted her head back before she aimed her fireball towards the base of where the chains were coming from and hoping they would break.

((21:19, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 16 using 1d20+8. Ninjutsu Attack.))
This message was last edited by the player at 04:20, Wed 16 Mar 2016.

[Private to Yamada Nori: According to my question to the GM, you can give up on the other roll and add it instead to the roll you are focusing on, thus I added both for Attack and Defense rolls. Admittedly some tweaking may be needed for it considering how high the rolls can go in the process.

As for how Nori is bound, I intend it to be legs bound together and arms tied to the sides with the chains wrapped tightly around Nori from the neck down. The intention was to keep Nori from executing her taijutsu after all. :P]

No defense

Another fireball attack straight ahead, and Sakuya held her ground despite the roaring flames and explosion. The ribbon holding her hair in place was blown and burned away, while her jacket is already in tatters showing a pink shirt underneath. Edges of her skirt were burnt as well.

Sakuya has started feeling short on breath as she continued to Nori into the air and then slam her against the ground with the water chains. Nori should have lost a great deal of blood by now, and that would be fatal if she goes past two-thirds of the amount lost.

That does not mean Sakuya possessed an advantage, however, despite having drained a portion of Nori's chakra and currently beating the latter relentlessly with her water chains. There are minor fractures in her bones, the reason why she didn't want to move too much after receiving hits. Strenuous action would worsen her injuries, and such injuries would take some time to recover even if treated by the best medical ninjas available. Sakuya could also feel her chakra reserves beginning to run out, but at least the chains infused with her chakra will be able to hold Nori in place for about three more minutes even if she finally exhausts her supply.

All Sakuya can do now is focus on knocking Nori repeatedly against the ground in the hopes that the accumulated damage and blood loss would start settling in for her opponent.

13:59, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 31 using 1d20+23.  Ninjutsu Focused Attack.

[Private to Harusame Sakuya: OOC: Ohhhh right right. Gotcha! That makes a lot more sense to me. I was like 'How am I supposed to be that roll if it's so high. I might actually focus on the attacking part then since Nori can't really use anything to defend herself since she is bound.

And thank you for clarifying! I'm not having much luck with breaking the chains. I actually thought breaking the chains would have worked with that last attack since you didn't use any defense >< ]

No defense

Nori had to commend Harusame for being able to withstand her flames like she did. However, the goal she had in mind was for these chains to break and she wasn't having much luck in doing that. She knew she needed to, though, or else she would never get out of these stupid things. However, she could really only do one attack at the moment because the others required her to use her hands. She felt herself brought back into the air again before she was pulled back down to the ground with force. She turned onto her side again and began to cough from the wind being knocked out of her once more. Nori started to pant heavily as her eyes narrowed in on Harusame.

Just by the look of her opponent, she could tell that the other girl was short on breath and it was most likely because she was exhausting her chakra on these water chains that she was using. Nori could feel her own chakra draining and the blood loss she was experiencing right now wasn't helping, either. She felt exhausted, but that didn't mean she couldn't keep going. Sure she was going to be experiencing a lot of pain afterwards, but she would deal with that later. If Harusame could only wear herself down a bit more, than there was a chance her chains would break. She couldn't have a whole lot of strength left in her arms after she had had inflicted some damage to her with her Strong Fist jutsu. She was actually surprised her opponent could withstand the pain of putting so much pressure on her arms like that by flinging her around like this. Even if the chains did break, though, Nori wondered if she would even have enough strength left to do any kind of taijutsu attacks. She had to try, though. For now, there was this one attack she could still do, so she would do it until she couldn't do it anymore.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" she exclaimed again before she mustered up the chakra within her and although the flame wasn't great, she aimed it at the source of where the chains were coming from in hopes of breaking them.

((00:19, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 22 using 1d20+18. Ninjutsu Focused Attack.))

No defense

Yet another fireball attack. Sakuya found herself falling to one knee after the attack and slowly taking deep breaths. She had to hold her breath whenever the fireball is about to make contact in order to avoid the fire affecting her breathing, but even this is proving difficult. The air around her is painfully hot, but she didn't have the strength left to move away from where she is now.

Keeping the jutsu active isn't that difficult once it is already up. Similar to the Shadow Bind technique, continuous techniques meant one only has to hold the position to keep the effect active. With how Sakuya infused her technique with her chakra, she doesn't have to keep holding the hand signs but simply make sure the chains have a supply of chakra from her.

That leaves her with another problem with Nori's continuous fireball attacks - water surrounding Sakuya has already dried up. Sakuya figured that leaves the water chains with a few more minutes to hold out as it slams Nori against the ground with increasing force.

15:46, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 37 using 1d20+23.  Ninjutsu Focused Attack.

No defense

Nori watched as Harusame took the damage of her fireball jutsu and got down onto one knee. She slowly closed her mouth and started to pant as she stared the girl down. She gulped soundlessly and let out a few small coughs. Well, the chains may not have been broken but there was one thing that came out that looked positive and that was that the water that sustained those chains had dried up. They couldn't last much longer without it, could they? She felt herself lifted up from the ground and brought back down with a little bit more force from the last time. Nori gasped for air and started to breath heavily. She could do this. She needed to do this. After regaining her breathing just a little bit, she opened her mouth once more. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" she exclaimed in a hoarse voice before she summoned up a flame and expelled it in Harusame's direction.

((10:34, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 25 using 1d20+18. Ninjutsu Focused Attack.))

GM Note: Nori is suffering blood loss. She could possibly bleed out. Either end this fight quickly, or Nori may have to surrender.

No defense

Sakuya gasped for air after bracing through another fireball. Her eyes barely open and stinging from the dryness, sweat covered her face and body from the immense heat she is subjected to. She could barely support herself, but still managed to maintain focus for the binding water chains. All this while she was thinking - something must be done to keep Nori from landing another blow on her.

With that, Sakuya directed the chains to face Nori away from her. She then directed the chains to send her opponent face down on the ground in the hopes that it would be the last time she has to subject Nori to such attacks.

10:29, Today: Harusame Sakuya rolled 41 using 1d20+23.  Ninjutsu Focused Attack.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 10:24, Thu 17 Mar 2016.

No defense

Nori closed her mouth and began to catch her breath as she watched Harusame barely able to support herself after her attack. 'Damn. Those stupid chains are persistent,' she thought silently to herself. Those chains didn't loosen up one bit. She didn't think they would last much longer, but then again...she didn't think that she would, either. She closed her eyes before she suddenly felt herself turned away face down from her opponent. Nori felt that she had at least one more attack left inside her before she passed out from blood loss. 'Let's give it...one more shot...' In saying that, she mustered up what strength she had left before she turned her head slightly and looked back at Harusame. "Fire style: Fireball Jutsu!" she called out before opening her mouth and mustered up what chakra she had left to deliver a fireball in her opponent's direction.

((18:29, Today: Yamada Nori rolled 19 using 1d20+18. Ninjutsu Focused Attack.))

No defense

Sakuya had not expected Nori to push herself like that, and could only brace herself for the incoming attack. She soon found herself falling on to her back after the explosion, hurting all over from exposure to high temperature. With the amount of chakra she has already spent, her body refused to listen to her thoughts of getting back up.

Not good... Is this already my limit? Sakuya thought as she tried to raise an arm to get herself up, but could only manage to wince in response to the pain coursing up her arm. It does not look like she could continue fighting at this point. She won't be able to help Nori either at this point, making it more dangerous to leave the latter hanging out for longer.

"... I concede the match..." Sakuya finally said as loud as she could. She looked like she could cry at any moment as she declared her concession, but was trying to hold it in.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:27, Wed 23 Mar 2016.

Sima simply nodded his head as the match took a sudden turn. He couldn't be more proud of his student though. She had planned it well, from start to finish and almost had it, but the last second was just a screw up and it happened. He waited a few moments to allow Sakuya to get back up, but once she spoke the words he needed to hear, he stepped forward, facing the others within the arena. "Harusame Sakuya is unable to continue this match. Yamada Nori wins this preliminary round," he announced and just smiled at Nori. He looked down at Sakuya and kneeled by her side. "I am a very proud sensei. You put up one hell of a fight, you know. You almost had it," he told her, being utterly honestly to her to make her feel better. He could see the sadness in her eyes; the kind of sadness that came when you felt like your dreams were taken away. "There is always next time. These exams happen twice a year. You'll get your shot then. You will shine and it will be my job to make sure of that," he added. He looked over her injuries, seeing her arms had taken some heavy impact from earlier. He figured she had some fractures and it would be awhile until she would be okay. He helped her up carefully and waved some medical Jonin to treat her as quickly as possible.

When Nori released that last fireball, she thought that was it. Even if she had wanted to continue on, she knew she couldn't. Not with this injury. She pushed herself to her breaking point and it had exhausted her. Her vision was starting to get blurry and she started to feel light headed. She knew she was bound to pass out any second. She looked into Harusame's direction and saw the girl on her back, trying to push herself up but couldn't. That girl...she really was a lot tougher than she looked. When she heard her opponent concede the match, it had honestly surprised her. Nori thought she was done for if she couldn't get out of these chains. It was then that she heard the proctor announce that Harusame was unable to continue the match and that she had won.

Somehow a sense of relief had washed over her. It was over. The chains had loosened around her and let her go, dropping her to the ground. Nori just laid there in a puddle as she just looked onward at Harusame. She couldn't see her very well because of her blurry vision, but she could hear Fuji reassure her and tell her that there was always next time. She just stayed still for a moment or two before she slowly pushed herself up with a trembling arm. She kept her other hand pressed tightly against the injury on her neck as she watched the medical ninja make their way over to Harusame. "Haru...same..." she said in a voice she hoped was loud enough for the girl to hear. "You...you are amazing... Don't give up...okay? Be strong..."

Sakuya managed a nod to reply to her sensei as she tried to hide her face that is on the verge of tears, also to remind her sensei that Nori's wound would require immediate medical attention. She gave a few movements with one hand in hopes that Nori would see her reply - also acknowledging Nori's perseverance and wishing the Konohagakure genin good luck in her next match.

When she was finally out of the area did Sakuya finally started crying, letting out the disappointment towards herself she has held in earlier. She may have learned much, but she is still young and needed time to come to terms with her feelings.

Fujii allowed his student to dismiss herself away from the arena. He would further attend to her needs once he looked over Nori's massive wound. He couldn't help but feel incredibly proud of his pupil. She managed to deal massive attack that would surely kill somebody, however he wouldn't allow this young girl to die after her match. That would be too cruel. He whistled for the medical ninja to take care of Nori right away. They attended her injury quickly and tried to control her bleeding as she was carried away on a gurney and sent to the infirmary for immediate medical attention. Once there, they managed to do a blood transfusion and get Nori on IV fluids and close up her wound with surgery and stitches. She was good to go for her next match tomorrow, even though she was recovering from surgery.

Once Nori was sent away, Fujii made his way back to Sakuya. He placed a hand on her shoulder and allowed her to let her emotions get the best of her. Being a sensei wasn't entirely easy. There were harsh moments where you had to push your students to do their very best in life or death situations and put them through harsh training. That's how ninja learned. However, controlling your mental state wasn't a sensei's job; it was the individual's job to control and maintain themselves. A sensei can only guide and teach and a genin had to either learn from it, or step away from it.

He sighed, feeling terrible for ending the match, but it had to be done. "I never expected such skill from you. For being a supporter teammate, you have a lot of fight in you. You don't need those boys to protect you anymore. That is what you have learned here today. You learned to completely stand on your own. That can make a great leader. You will pass the exams some day. Maybe not today, but take this defeat and learn from it. There will always be obstacles in your way and this was one of them. Even though you did not pass today, I am still proud of you and that is something you can take home with you after this is over. The choice is yours whether or not you want to give up being a ninja. But I promise you, once we get back, I will train your properly and you will rise to be a leader," he encouraged before dropping his hand from her shoulder and walked away. He had other matches to proctor.