[center][h1][color=9e0b0f]The Bandaged Man[/color][/h1][/center]

As the matches went on, the bandaged man eyes would gleam with interest as he saw the two chunin fight. Both of them seemed to be rather skilled, and seem to have a few tricks up their sleeves as well. [color=9e0b0f][i]That one boy should’ve been roasted to a fine crisp, yet he got away with only being slightly steamed. How very curious.[/i][/color] His gaze would rest on the two for a while longer as they retreated to their corner again, before he rose from his seat, leaping down into the pit and landing with the grace of a panther. As he rose, he rolled his right arm a bit, testing it once more to see how much his movements would be inhibited. At the moment, it wasn’t by much, but he knew that he wouldn’t be able to put much weight onto the limb for fear of worsening it. 

[color=9e0b0f][i]Then again, I might not have much choice. I’ll have to be more careful to avoid injury in my next few battles, as I don’t have a handy medic-nin on hand to patch me up.[/i][/color] He chuckled before he turned to his opponent, knowing that a tough battle was on-hand. His opponent was a tall ronin that currently possessed 12 coins himself. The bandaged man had 5, so this win would give him 17 in total, and possibly a few more scars if he wasn’t careful. The ronin wore nothing but a simple yukata, and had two blades perched upon his waist, a katana and a o-wakazashi.

As the two stood across from each other, the Ronin gave a short bow, then drew his katana and took a stance. No words were exchanged, just a shared look before both figures dashed forward in a burst of speed, passing by each other with a shower of sparks. The bandaged man skidded to a halt, a kunai in hand as he doubled back for another strike, only to be met halfway by his opponent, locked in an intense struggle as one tried to overpower the other. Unfortunately for the bandaged man, he was forced to guard with his injured arm and thus was quickly losing ground. Thinking fast, he drew another kunai and thrust it forward. seeming to target his opponent’s throat. It was only a feint, however, as he quickly pulled it back, but it was enough to fool the ronin into backing away from the engagement, and allow the bandaged man to jump away from the man, launching a brace of shuriken as he did so to cover his retreat.

The ronin easily deflected them all with his blade before making another rush, the weapon glowing a bright blue as he channeled chakra through it, extending the length and increasing the sharpness. The bandaged man didn’t bother trying to block these attacks with his kunai, instead taking to dodging each and every swing, staying on the defensive and deflecting whatever he couldn’t evade. He could only do this for so long, however, and he wasn’t about to let himself take another wound to worry about. As the Ronin prepared to launch another slash, the bandaged man would snap his fingers, causing small sparks to form directly on his foe’s eyes. While the effect was harmless, it was extremely irritating to the delicate organs, and somewhat painful as well. 

As the ronin recoiled with a low hiss, he swung wildly in a horizontal arc, sending out a crescent of chakra in what he believed to be the man’s general direction, but he had used the propelling winds technique to launch himself high into the sky, easily avoiding the attack. While in the air, he slipped a finger underneath his bandages to get a dab of blood from his previous wounds, then ran it along a seal tattoo on his arm, causing a cloud of light grey smoke to appear around him. From that cloud, a brace of shuriken, kunai, and a Demon wind shuriken came hurtling forth. But that wasn’t all, as the bandaged man had another trick up his sleeve as the cloud dissipated, forming another string of hand seals as he activated another jutsu.

[color=9e0b0f]“Shadow Shuriken Jutsu.”[/color]

Instantly, each weapon launched would multiply into about couple hundred or so copies, making about a thousand projectiles racing towards the lone samurai. By this time the ronin could see again, and as he witnessed the huge wall of weapons coming his way, he merely steadied his stance. He channeled a large amount of chakra into the blade, then launched a flurrly of large arcs towards the coming onslaught, creating a barrage of his own in the form of crescent chakra blade. These would deflect most of the projectiles away from him and into each other, as well as hurtling towards the ronin’s defenseless opponent, who had no way of escaping the attack while in mid-air. However, a sizeable number of the projectiles did get through, and while he tried his best to avoid them, his attack had left him highly fatigued.


A number of the kunai and shuriken would find their mark, leaving him riddled with weapons and unable to use either of his arms. His katan would fall to the ground with a clang, soon followed by the ronin as he sank to his knees, breathing haggard breaths. It was clear that this would be his final match, but at least his opponent had met his end. The bandaged man, unable to do anything, was struck head on by all of the blades, torn to pieces by the savage assault. 

Or so it seemed.

As the attack hit, the bandaged man would disperse into a cloud of smoke, signalling that he had been a shadow clone. As the ronin saw this, he’d feel a presence appear behind him before an iron grip would squeeze around his throat, lifting him off the ground in triumph. When the bandaged man had summoned his demon wind shuriken, he had used the smoke to disguise him summoning a shadow clone, who would take his place in the air while he henged himself into a kunai. He was launched with the rest of the weapons, but was aimed at the man’s shadow instead of the man himself. While he was almost caught by the ronin’s chakra attack, he made it through and hit his target, using a hiding technique to meld with his foe’s shadow. He then waited for the perfect moment to strike. 

Now with the man in his grip, and completely useless without his arms. The bandaged man decided he should have a little fun with his prisoner. But first, he would make sure the man was completely helpless. The ronin would feel the bandaged man’s grip tighten as a cold seeped into his body. His energy would slowly begin to slip away from him, pulled into the bandaged man’s chakra system as he drained it all away. The ronin didn’t have a large amount left, as samurai didn’t train in chakra as much as ninja did, and thus weren’t known for having large reserves, but it was enough so that the bandaged man felt somewhat refreshed. 

After he had drained what he could without killing the man, he’d toss him into the side of the cage, causing the samurai to cry out, before he was soon silenced by a side kick to the gut. As the man fell over, the bandaged man would grab im by the hair and lift him up, taking the man’s katana in hand and swinging it around a few times, testing the feel of the blade. Then, without warning or reason, he’d take the blade and stab it straight into the ronin’s knee, causing the samurai to come back into full wakefulness with an anguished scream. This scream would only grow in volume as the bandaged man began to twist the blade around in the wound before finally pulling it out. 

The bandaged man would release the ronin’s hair, letting his body fall towards the ground once more, only to launch a viscious knee right into his face, knocking him back with a broken nose and a dazed mind. The ronin would fall backwards, unable to hear or think clearly as his head rang from the impact. The only thing he could see, however, is the intense violet orbs that pierced his soul from above with a perverted glee at the man’s suffering.

[color=6ecff6]“Kill . . . Me  . . .”[/color] The ronin managed to say in a hoarse whisper, only to receive a savage kick to his side, shoving one of the kunai deeper into his body, producing another surge of pain through his body. The ronin coughed up a lot of blood, his breath coming out in pitiful wheezes. The bandaged man couldn’t help but chuckle at the fallen warrior’s display, as it was quite pitiful.

[color=9e0b0f]“What a shameful warrior, to so quickly beg for death, I wonder, are all samurai this easy to break or are you just a weakling that couldn’t take it. Is that why you became a ronin, because you thought it’d be an easier life.”[/color] The man chuckled again as he rose his foot up high, then brought it down on the man’s other knee, breaking it with a sickening crack. It was soon followed by more cries of pain from the ronin, and another round of chuckling glee from the bandaged man. He;d then pick up the sorry excuse for a samurai, taking from him the sheath for his katana and his o-wakazashi, before turning to the crowd. “[color=9e0b0f]Well then, people of this fine arena, I leave the choice to you. Should I end end this man myself, or send him screaming into the pit to be eaten alive but the beast that dwells within.”[/color]

The crowd respond as one, calling with a multitude of savage voices, eager for bloodshed and suffering. As one they all said the same thing: [i]Pit, Pit, Pit, [b]PIT[/b]!!![/i] 

Needing no more coaxing, the bandaged man, would open the door, step out to the edge of the pit, and with a final wave good bye, throw the man screaming into the dark abyss. The crowd would be blessed with hearing the man’s dying screams one final time as the creature in the shadows tore him apart, and then there would be nothing but silence from below. The man would collect his tokens, then calmly walk back to his spot giving the smallest of glances towards the spot where the Leaf-nin where stationed. He’d make eye contact with each of the chunin, each of them being able to feel his intense bloodlust rolling off him in waves, before finally landing on Fujitora. To the jonin commander, he’d only give a friendly wave and a smile that could only be seen by his eyes. He would then return to his seat, taking a moment to recuperate as he awaited his next match.

[@j8cob]
[@Savato]
[@Angel Eyes]