[Hider=Stolen Salvation: Art of the Drawing Sword - Tsukyuusei-ryu Battoujutsu] Tsukyuusei-ryu Battoujutsu is a very beautiful sword style practiced by the sword wielders of the world but most commonly in Rain. This style itself was originally supposed to be a derivative of the Iaido style but when all was said and done it ended up being classified as a Battoujutsu. The main purpose of the style is to strike and damage in the smallest possible time frame. In order to accomplish this, practitioners will attack while drawing their sword. The style is considered an arrogant style because after the sword is swung, whether or not it hits, the practitioner will wipe the blade and replace it in its sheathe as if they were done using it. This is part of the Iaido teachings incorporated into the style. The practice of wiping the blade after each cut and then replacing it into its sheathe keeps the blade in tip-top shape. The style also utilizes a special blade design created by the originator of the style, which was a woman known simply as Setsuka. The blade design was named after the woman, Setsuka which means 'Snow Flower.' The blade design is that of a long and thin sword with a shallow curve. The blade is made of a very light titanium alloy yet despite its weight it is very powerful because of the extremely sharp edge that can be made and kept. The blade is also hidden within a parasol so as to trick those who dare to cross blades with the practitioners of this style. Setsuka The setsuka is a weapon meant for the Tsukyuusei-ryu Battoujutsu fighting style. It is an old fashioned parasol made of bamboo and rice paper. The shaft of the parasol sheathes a long and thin blade with a shallow curve to it. The blade is actually built like a katana but is made of a lighter material that is thinner, sharper, and a little longer than a traditional katana Chihana A more advanced form of the Setsuka weapon. Though based on the same principals the Chihana is usually longer then the Setsuka. It is also a thicker and sturdier blade for the more powerful attacks that are caused by a much more skilled practitioner. It is about the size of an odachi. Stage 1 Academy Life of Iai [Nukitsuke] The Tsukyuusei-ryu Battoujutsu is a style like no other. The practitioners learn the concept of killing in the smallest timeframe as humanly possible. To accomplish this they learn to attack whilst they are drawing their blades and to use the entire umbrella in a fight, like using the shade as a distraction and shield. They are also taught that the quickest way to kill someone is to get them in as close as possible; in order to do that in a battle they must leave an opening that the enemy will most likely exploit and once they do they die. This means training their bodies to not only be quick but to be able to take a lot of pain. Because of the low level of the practitioners at this stage are often slower and much less fluid than higher-ups and the majority are not yet brave enough to take a hit. Special Techniques The Art of the Drawing Sword [Battoujutsu] Passive ability in which the user strikes an enemy whilst they remove their blade from sheathes. In doing this, the user adds ½ of his or her agility to the strikes that occur in this fashion. Umbrella Shield [Tate no Kasa] By focusing chakra into the rice paper shade of the Setsuka/Chihana the user can make a shield that is much more resistant to attacks than a normal umbrella shade. Stage 2 Genin This World of Suffering [Kataku] The second stage for most styles show progression towards being able to kill, or at the very least wound, at a higher level than they were able to in the previous ones, but the second level or the Tsukyuusei-ryu Battoujutsu does not. Instead the second stage focuses more on turning the practitioners view into the big picture. This allows the practitioner to refrain from getting arrogant over little victories, such as scoring a hit, and pushes them to look for a kill. One of the ways they are trained in this is to leave certain spots on their body open for attack so that their opponent will get caught up in the small victories and forget to look at the big picture, which will end up killing them. The training during this stage is intense in the fact that it is meant to make the practitioner much more resilient to pain so it often includes being severely beaten. Special Techniques One for the Win [Ichi Shouri] During a fight the user will leave a certain part of their body open for the opponent to exploit it, which brings them in closer for the kill. This part of the body is reinforced with chakra and when hit the chakra will reduce the pain that the user would normally receive. As the Edge of thy Blade [Mamaha] By focusing a large amount of chakra into either their blade or the umbrella the user can create an extended point or edge made completely out of chakra but just as effective as steel. Stage 3 Chunin The Snow Flower Doth Bloom Young [Setsuka Nasu Sakidasu] One of the most feared stages in the Tsukyuusei-ryu Battoujutsu style. This stage gets its name from the sudden burst of skill. To balance out the previous stage in which they simple prepared their bodies the practitioner now trains the body to move at higher speeds solely for the purpose of more effective killing strikes. Because of their lack of training with their cutting skill in the previous stage the practitioner must train extremely hard to get to this level. Once they are at it though their skill level far surpasses that of several of the sword styles in the other shinobi villages. This is also the stage where a new sword, much like the Setsuka, is introduced to the practitioner: the Chihana. It is not required that it is used but it is highly recommended. Special Techniques Glides Across thy Opponent [Kassou Juudan Hantaisha] For a more effective cut the user must usually put much more strength into an attack and this can be a problem for swordsmen who focus more on other attributes. To remedy this problem the user can funnel chakra into their sword. This chakra surrounds the blade as an aura with the majority of the chakra focused on the edge of the blade. This aura is made to be like a wedge and when it is pushed to slice skin it will expand the wound and forcing it to cut deeper much more than usual. Stage 4 Jounin The Snow Flower Doth Wilt [Setsuka Nasu Shinabiru] After focusing on their pain tolerance then going to work specifically on their speed and skill of strikes, the practitioner returns to training in a happy medium between the two. With their ability, and willingness, to open up any specific spot on their body to an attack, a ploy to get the enemy to within about arm's length, the practitioner now tries to open up what would normally be considered dangerous to do so such as the neck or parts of the torso instead of just the extremities. At this stage the practitioner also learns how to use the Chihana, an odachi sized weapon, in that close of a range. Usually they learn how to use parts of the blade to attack the opponent instead of the entire length of it. Special Techniques The Snow Grows Red [Yuki Hayasu Akaaka] A highly effective cutting technique. The user laces chakra through their blade, which counters the effects of blood platelets and healing jutsu. Doing this gives the opponent an open wound that will not be healed. Not only does this effectively weaken the opponent but also it makes it much easier to trail them. (Cannot be healed by any medical jutsu that is Jounin level or lower. Advanced Jounin level and higher techniques can heal it, but have a slower healing effect.) Stage 5 Saanin As Lifeless as Cold Ashes [Shikai] Able to take what would normally be considered a mortal wound and keep on going at extreme speeds the practitioner has become nothing short of an angel of death. They have gained the title of Shikai, which refers to their ability to completely ignore pain because they feel no pain they are as lifeless as cold ashes. At this final stage the practitioner rounds off all of their training thus far into one perfect sword style that can bring down even the mightiest of foes. Special Techniques - Seppuku [Seppuku] The ultimate move with regards to the Tsukyuusei-ryu Battoujutsu. The user brings the opponent into less than an arm's length away. The user then takes their main weapon and pierces both the opponent's body and their own body. The attack, though considered reckless, has the potential to be a highly effective technique. The name is really a misnomer since it is used a bit differently. The user takes their blade and flips it upside down, cutting edge up, the shoves it through their abdomen, from their back, up into the chest cavity of their enemy. This is an especially sneaky attack to use because most people with not expect the user to possibly kill themselves just to kill their enemy[/hider]