Description: On one of his random outings to challenge 'strong people', Shenwoo runs into Saishu Kusanagi. What follows is a battle too awesome for mere words to describe... Except by saying, 'These guys are NUTS!'
The Kusanagi Dojo. Now located on the outskirts of the city, the family finally having fully established its move from Shinjuku and paid off all morgages back there, it is a place of tranquil and idllyic peace, which is probably why Kyo is never around. Traditional Japanese architecture only lends itself to the image of this as a place of rest and meditation. One who sits upon the wooden porch that extends out from the main entrance can easily survey the emerald green grass and the thick and gently swaying stalks of bamboo, can listen to the quiet burble of the natural stream that passes around the side of the house and hear the quiet *thock* of the fountain in the back, located in the small pond that has accumulated there. This place has nothing if location. Location away from everybody else.
After all, this isn't *really* a dojo. I mean, Kusanagi-ryuu. Who's going to learn that who can't shoot flames? Nobody. What a ridiculous idea. Only a complete douchebag would do something like that. Thus, perhaps this place would be better identified as the Kusanagi residence rather than the Kusanagi dojo; but that wouldn't be giving credit to exactly how much martial arts practice goes down in here. Not so much as before, when Kyo was younger, perhaps... not so much as when Saishu still wandered the earth and only came back to train his son from time to time... but still quite a bit.
Today the Kusanagi patriarch is indulging in the more spiritual side of martial arts training. Admittedly, it looks suspiciously like he's lounging around on the porch, somehow napping and smoking a long-stemmed pipe simultaneously, but anyone with a sense for chi would be able to feel the incredible mind-numbing pressure of chi flowing through him with every breath, emerging in scintillating colors with every smoke ring--
Such is the way of Kusanagi meditation.
Though it is winter, Saishu has a feeling today is an outside day.
Every day is an outside day, when you're someone like Shenwoo. The self-styled God of Battle doesn't make the slightest concession to to the weather, it seems, no matter what the season; spring, summer, fall or winter, he dresses exactly how he feels like dressing, and doesn't seem much bothered by heat or cold. Maybe he's too tough for it; maybe he's just too plain crazy to feel it! Either way, the fact of the matter is that he usually runs around in silk shirts and leather pants. It's his schtick. Having head of the Kusanagi family - with fighters like Kyo and Saishu, how could he not? - the brawler from Shanghai has long wondered just how well he'd fare against the flame-tossers, but to be honest, he's never really had the opportunity to try his skills against them. Not, that is, until someone told him /where they live/. So, much like his visit to the Kyokugen Dojo almost a year ago, Shen comes striding up the way to the Kusanagi 'Dojo', his eyes hidden behind designer sunglasses and a wolfish grin on his face. His arrival? Unannounced! But someone of Saishu's caliber would no doubt have noticed him by now, right? "Yo, grandpa," Shenwoo calls out amicably, tilting his head to one side. "This is the Kusanagi place, right? Who's the strongest person here?"
"Hmm?"
Saishu Kusanagi lowers his pipe and casts Shenwoo a calm glance, taking a moment to blow out a series of perfect smoke rings before smiling slightly, eyes narrowing and twinkling engagingly, as he reaches up to scratch his short semi-pointed beard. "An interesting question!" he barks, suddenly shifting on his butt to face Shenwoo, sitting on the top step of the porch now. "You might want to try my wife Shizuka. She runs his place herself, she does, no thanks to me, I must admit." The middle-aged fighter says this without a trace of shame; in fact, he starts to grin, eyes still sparkling as though he knows something no one else does. "And she's a mean one when it comes to ninjas. You aren't a ninja, are you?" he suddenly says, the grin vanishing in an instant. "Can't abide ninjas. Too often they're robots. Eh? Ain't it the truth."
He's grinning again, like he never stopped. His attitude is both winning and disconcerting simultaneously. It must be hard for normal people to deal with him.
"If you want someone to fight, you should probably pick a fight with my son, Kyo. He's pretty strong, especially if you get him riled up. But he's not around right now -- I told him to clean his room, and he took off with his motorcycle. Tried to throw the couch at him, but Shizuka hit me with a newspaper..." He trails off, looking more thoughtful than downcast, before abrupting starting again, still grinning mysteriously. "At any rate, he's out right now. I guess if you're looking for a fight, the opponent you want is me... Saishu Kusanagi!"
He's standing up. Wait, he was sitting down before, right? How did that happen? Isn't there supposed to be, like, a transitive phase between sitting down and standing up? His eyes blaze, though that grin is unchanging. "Is it a battle you seek, young man?"
Clearly, this old man is pretty much insane; that's okay, though. Shenwoo can relate. Still, he can tell that Saishu is no slouch, especially given that speedy rise to his feet, his own grin not budging an inch as he takes off his sunglasses, folding in the arms and pocketing them. "Saishu Kusanagi, is it?" he wonders, stepping a bit closer. "Seems like you're pretty strong... So, yeah, a battle is what I'm seeking," he confirms, nodding. "The name's Shenwoo." He'd /hope/ he's been heard of, but who can tell with a guy like this? His fists clench lightly before relaxing, and he arches a brow. "Unless it's too close to your naptime," he adds; after all, what fun is a fight if you don't talk a little smack now and then?
Saishu slips his hands into the sleeves of his kimono as he meanders down the porch steps and onto the wide field of grass; the dew has evaporated by now, and footing is relatively secure. "Already had my nap!" he says cheerfully. "But thank you, son, that's very obliging of you." Vigorously scratching one armpit, he makes his way to an especially dry patch; some of the grass even looks slightly burnt. "We'll fight here," the Kusanagi elders says, scuffing his feet in the grass. "That way, if you drop your pacifier, I won't have to strain my back looking for it!"
Just a single deep breath and Saishu is ready to assume his semi-squat fighting stance. Closing his eyes, he draws his palms close together, and concentrating, with a quiet "Hmph!", he summons into being a crackling ball of flame between his bare hands, finally slapping his hands together and extinguishing it. He's ready. "Let's go," he says, eyes starting to sparkle again, "'God of Battle'."
Ahah, so he *has* heard of Shenwoo.
That or he knows a lot of Chinese.
COMBATSYS: Saishu has started a fight here.
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Saishu 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo has joined the fight here.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Saishu
Whistling a bit at the parlour trick with the flames, Shenwoo can't help but grin. "Well, so long as you know what you're getting into," Shen says with a bark of a laugh, stepping calmly towards Saishu. It's really a relaxed pace, like he was just out for a walk any ol' where; some people might find it intimidating, though likely not someone of the Kusanagi elder's caliber. He's not far away from Saishu when, rather abruptly, he stops... And then suddenly seems to be in two places at once, a flickering afterimage still standing where he stopped while Shenwoo himself hauls off and tries to punch Saishu right in the mush. "HOORA!!"
COMBATSYS: Saishu blocks Shenwoo's Quick Punch.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Saishu
Just as fast, grin unchanged, Saishu lifts his hand, almost lazily despite its speed, and catches the fist with disconcerting ease. "Yawn!" he says, waggling his eyebrows -- but even that may be Saishu Tactics. The amusingly dramatic reaction to the punch would seem like a waste of time to most, until one caught Saishu snapping out quickly with his foot in a low kick, and aiming to suddenly thrust forward, sweep Shenwoo off his feet and toss him to the ground, and then hit him with a fierce sucker punch in the midriff, taking his breath away. Bam!~
"HAH!"
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo parries Saishu's Hikiri Tsuchi!
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Shenwoo 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Saishu
"TOO SLOW!!" shouts Shenwoo, hooking his leg behind Saishu's, both avoiding the kick - and thereby forestalling the rest of the combination - and also hopefully knocking the other man off-balance, at least long enough for the tall young man to rear back and then explode into forward movement. Not that he has far to go, but nevertheless... Unleased at point-blank range, the 'world famous' Gekiken is a difficult thing to dodge, Shenwoo throwing his full weight and speed behind the rushing punch, his beringed left fist trying to hit Saishu /very hard/ in the solar plexus. "SHYAAAAAAAAAAA!!" shouts the self-styled 'God of Battle'. Here's to hoping this works!
COMBATSYS: Saishu endures Shenwoo's Gekiken EX.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0 Saishu
He hits Saishu very hard indeed.
BUT NOT HARD ENOUGH.
"Uuuryahhh!" is Saishu's cheerful response-shout, just clenching his fits and taking the hit like a man, the sheer power behind the fist making his entire body shake with the reverberations and yet able to maintain his fighting stance without trouble. And even before Shenwoo has fully recovered from the attack, Saishu is already lunging forward; twisting on his foot, he lashes out immediately with a fierce wave of flame, and continuing to twist with the movement, he windmills his arms and unleashes a *second* blast of fire, equal in power to the first.
"Hou! HYA!"
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo blocks Saishu's Homura Gasane.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Saishu
Oh, fudge. Shenwoo knows one thing very much for certain; getting set on fire sucks /a whole lot/. Honest, he's tried it before. Purple flames? Hurt. Green flames? Hurt. Fakey purple flames? Those hurt too. He'd imagine that the crimson flames of the Kusanagi hurt just as much... Which would be why he does his level best to avoid sampling them any more than he absolutely has to. His arms cross in front of him, intercepting the brunt of Saishu's two fiery assaults, his teeth gritting at the pain, his dark eyes remaining focused. "Sorry to say, I can't do anything like that," the brawler says, before lunging at Saishu and raising one leg, trying for a hard, stomping kick to the face. "GRAAAH!!"
COMBATSYS: Saishu dodges Shenwoo's Fusen Kyaku.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Saishu
"No need to apologize!" the Kusanagi elder says magnanimously -- does he ever stop grinning? -- as he sways out of the way of the fierce face-busting kick. "You probably do well enough without 'em, eh?" And stepping back for a moment, taking another deep breath, Saishu lets said flames come to him again, licking up and down his arms as he focuses, grin only intensifying as the air around him ripples with heat and gathering chi. "Haaaaah!" he declares. "You're missing out, son!"
A bit of mid-battle meditation, and the fabled Kusanagi flames are already surging around him, furiously clamoring to be released.
COMBATSYS: Saishu gathers his will.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0 Saishu
Shenwoo actually /chuckles/ when Saishu dodges his big boot, because where's the fun if a fight is easy, right? He watches, though, as the master of Kusanagi-ryuu steps back and begins to gather his energy, with those visibly surging flames. That... Is probably not something that's in Shenwoo's best interests. "A friend of mine can make flames like that. They're green, though," Shen explains. Isn't that /weird/? He's never given it much thought, of course... If people can produce fire from nowhere, what difference does it make /what/ colour it is? Of course, he's not about to let Saishu sit there and gather energy unmolested... Instead, he charges straight in at the older man, trying to get right in close, recklessly, heedless of those flames, to bury his knee in Saishu's midsection. That's not the entirety of his attack, of course, just the setup, intended to double the man over; if it succeeds, then from there he turns, looping his arm around Saishu's head and neck and then dropping to the ground, ideally forcing the other fighter /with/ him, where the Kusanagi's face can meet Shen's shoulder rather roughly, what with that violent stop that occurs when they hit the ground. "RAAH!"
COMBATSYS: Saishu blocks Shenwoo's Saikouhou-Geki.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\1 Saishu
"Heh!" Matching Shenwoo's speed, Saishu snaps his leg up to halt the attack's progress, and then prevents any further grappling by lashing out with a fierce blast of fire, aiming to knock the young man back and away. Give an old man some space!
Naturally, this is accompanied by yet another eyebrow waggle.
"Ha ha! You got spunk, kid!"
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo blocks Saishu's Yami Barai.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/--=====|=======\=------\1 Saishu
It's true, Shenwoo does /indeed/ have spunk. Moxy, even. Far more than most people really have a right to, which is the whole reason he's been able to make his way as a fighter, with no natural talent or unusual abilities. The blast of flame does indeed knock him away, though he's able to avoid an /enormous/ amount of damage... He's still burned though. However, oddly, some of the burning on his arms from the /earlier/ flame blast? Faded almost entirely! How eerie. "I'm just gettin' warmed up!" he cries, dashing towards Saishu to try and grab the man by the lapels of his top, and then... Well, this is Shenwoo we're talking about. You know what it's time for.
HEADBUTT!
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo successfully hits Saishu with Strong Punch.
Glancing Blow
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Shenwoo 0/-------/--=====|=======\==-----\1 Saishu
With a sudden burst of energy, Saishu establishes a grip on Shenwoo's own shirt at the same time as Shenwoo's attempt, and so when the youth aims to headbutt the older man, the Kusanagi elder just starts to shake him about and makes Shenwoo only glance his the side of his face with the attack. Saishu is entirely unfazed. "Ha ha!" he chuckles, and eyes glimmering with enthuasiasm, shakes the youth up a bit more before--
"HEADBUTT!"
Monkey see, monkey do. Hey, it looks like fun.
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo interrupts Fierce Punch from Saishu with Tenrenshou.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
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Shenwoo 0/-------/--=====|=======\===----\1 Saishu
You know what? Shenwoo totally digs Saishu's style. Flames or not, the older man has just the right kind of madcap, devil-may-care attitude towards fighting that resonates with the berserker's own. So how better to pay tribute to that... Than by doing something extremely risky? With a grin as Saishu attempts a headbutt of his own, the two skulls only make the slightest of taps before the two men are suddenly /thrown/ apart; somewhere along the line, it seems, Shenwoo got his leg up, and extended it right in Saishu's midsection to break the headbutt and the whole grappling situation. "Heh," he chuckles, before letting out a tired: "Hah." He's been burning the candle at both ends here, but that doesn't mean he's anywhere near to giving up!
Blam! Saishu is sent skidding back on the soles of his feet, but sheer fighting spirit keeps his posture from even wavering from the blow. "Hah!" he returns as well. "Ha ha! Ha ha ha ha!" His eyes widen slightly, seeming to glow more than twinkle now, grin impossibly managing to get wider. "Ahahahaha--"
His right hand, subtly hidden behind a kimono sleeve, thrusts out and reveals itself as glowing white-hot, and explodes. Hand snapping back with the recoil, as though he's just fire a bazooka of a pistol, Saishu's mad cackling is cut off abruptly by the sudden focus of all his power into one incredible fire attack. The huge gout of flame that emerges tears through the air and, for the briefest of moments, forms the image of a howling dragon before it simply dissolves into merciless, scourging flame--
"--HAH!"
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo endures Saishu's Orochinagi'.
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Shenwoo 1/-======/=======|=------\-------\0 Saishu
Holy crap on a stick, is that a lot of fire. Now, a sane man would try to get out of the way, or at least try to find a way to mitigate the damage dealt by the furious, fiery attack. But there are very few people who would classify Shenwoo as 'sane'. The tall, lean man instead stands his ground, blasted viciously and painfully by the crimson flames of the Kusanagi, in an assault that would, well, probably drop a lesser man then and there. But for whatever reason, be it physical ability, sheer stubborn bloody-mindedness, or an outright and grievous lack of common sense, the self-styled 'God of Battle' isn't going anywhere.
Well, that's not strictly true; he's actually moving forward, even though he's still on fire, taking two slow steps, then a third sprinting stride, and then the young man explodes into forward movement a second time, rocketing across the grass towards Saishu with all the speed he can muster. So fast does Shen move, his hair and shirt fluttering behind him, flames still licking at his form, that he /blurs/, moving too fast for most human eyes to perceive. His left fist extends, ring and all, a shockwave of energy surrounding him, enveloping him, centered on his extended fist as he tries to punch the Kusanagi-ryuu master /right in the damn face/, with a ferocious, feral cry. "SHYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
COMBATSYS: Saishu endures Shenwoo's Zetsu Gekiken.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Saishu
Saishu witnesses the youth take the full entire force of his ultimate technique, and for a moment, that manic grin of his shifts into a surprisingly genuine smile -- and though it's hard to tell what for, strangely, it seems almost to be a smile of pride. Though the smile is real, his expression is inscrutible, as he watches Shenwoo struggle valiantly and openheartedly against the onslaught of Kusanagi flame. "'You alone have understood me,'" the man murmurs under his breath, eyes thoughtful, and seems to space out a moment, just to ponder. Man, whoever thought this guy would be quoting Dostoyevsky? It just goes to show ya.
But the moment passes. *Clearly* the moment passes. Because when Shenwoo comes up, Saishu is just grinning again, and, eyes blazing, he just takes the hit full on the face. That's right, fools. Saishu takes the shockwave-fist in the face and is almost, *almost*, lifted off the ground, yet somehow he avoids being pushes back, even though his head snaps back wildly. The force of the attack is transferred fully into the ground, and the ground behind Saishu trembles and erupts with the channeled power in a cone-like wave a meter or two long. Yet Saishu remains standing.
"Pathetic!" he roars, eyes blazing, and rearing back, just aims to kick Shenwoo right in the damn stomach, and knock the youth off his feet for good. Is this the final blow!?
COMBATSYS: Saishu successfully hits Shenwoo with Strong Kick.
- Power hit! -
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Shenwoo 1/-----==/=======|====---\-------\0 Saishu
"HAH!" laughs Shenwoo as Saishu stands up to the power of the Zetsu! Gekiken, which is admittedly not quite on the same magnitude as the power of that Orochinagi. He's running on fumes here, and he /knows/ that Saishu is the stronger opponent... But that doesn't mean that he's just going to lie down, over here. That's not his style; he's going to see this through to the finish. Even though he gets clocked /hard/ by that kick, the air rushing out of him as he hits the ground and bounces... But...! Shenwoo springs right back up, swinging one fist in a wild attempt at an uppercut, a loud roar escaping the young man! If that hits, then he follows it with a second punch, with his other hand, this a hook aimed at the older fighter's cheek. Third in the combination is another of his famous headbutts, and then he shouts out: "ONE MORE!!" and rears back with his beringed left fist for a bit ol' straight punch, from 'downtown', as it were. But in his current state, will it be enough?!
COMBATSYS: Saishu endures Shenwoo's Kohyou Rengeki!
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Shenwoo 0/-------/------=|=======\-------\0 Saishu
Saishu sees Shenwoo somehow survive his kick -- and grins.
Then he takes every single blow.
And swaying from the damage, staggering under the weight of his injuries, he is yet still grinning like a mad fool. More than that: his eyes gleam with more than just enthusiasm now. Is it respect? Is he impressed? Or is that really genuine pleasure in his eyes? What sort of man could enjoy getting the crap kicked out of him?
Saishu Kusanagi, that's who.
"HA HA!" is his final chuckle, as he lunges in one more time... and snaps his head forward once, quickly.
"HEADBUTT!"
Then he stumbles...
COMBATSYS: Saishu has reached second wind!
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Shenwoo 0/-------/------=|=======\-------\0 Saishu
...AND DOES NOT FALL.
"We're just getting STARTED!" he roars, grinning like a lunatic.
Oh, crap.
COMBATSYS: Saishu successfully hits Shenwoo with Jab Punch.
- Power hit! -
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Shenwoo 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0 Saishu
But you know, Saishu Kusanagi is not the only sort of man who could enjoy getting the crap kicked out of him. Shenwoo's love of battle is the same whether he wins or loses, so long as he manages to demonstrate his strength at least a little... Which he's definitely had the opportunity to do here, today. He didn't fold under the might of that Orochinagi, even; but Saishu's latest attack seems to do most of the trick, the tall young man's injured body starting to buckle. He's battered, he's burned, he's bruised and he's tired, and he can't seem to compensate for the headbutt sent his way, crumpling to his knees... And then springing forward with the last of his force, trying to spear Saishu in the gut with his shoulder, and then lift the older man /up/ off the ground, to slam him hard on the grass, before Shen himself will... Sort of fall down to one side, a big ol' grin on his face either way.
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo can no longer fight.
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Saishu 0/-------/=======|
COMBATSYS: Saishu fails to interrupt Saikouhou-Geki from Shenwoo with Random Weapon.
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Saishu 1/------=/=======|
Saishu raises his eyebrows slightly as Shenwoo crumples, and then grins, nodding once, in the split-second he has before Shenwoo hits him in the abdomen with his shoulder, knocking the breath out of him and sending him tumbling to the ground next to his fallen opponent. "Ha ha!" the Kusanagi patriarch says between gasps for breath. Managing to pull himself up onto an elbow, he turns to look at Shenwoo.
"Well fought, kid."
COMBATSYS: Saishu has ended the fight here.
And Shenwoo, well, let's face it, he's beat right to hell. Mainly from that gigantic flame blast, but it's not like the rest of Saishu's attacks /tickled/, you know. The younger man sort of lays there for a moment or two, before - despite the pain, which is considerable - starting to sit up, with a laugh. "Heh, thanks," he says. "You're a strong guy, Saishu Kusanagi. I guess it's true what they say about age and experience after all, huh?" Especially when age and experience are backed up with gouts of flame, and all.
Raising himself to a sitting position already -- unlike Shenwoo, he's not finished, though admittedly the adrenaline is starting to drain away -- Saishu reaches up to scratch his beard, aiming a contemplative gaze at Shenwoo. "I don't know," he says, sounding almost suspicious. "What *do* they say about age and experience?"
Then he grins, and gets to his feet, wincing at the quiet popping sounds as he straightens. "If it's about the back trouble," he adds, forcing himself to stretch fully and get out all the kinks, "then yes, absolutely."
Turning around, eyes warm with mirth, the Kusanagi elder leans down and offers a hand to Shenwoo to help him up to his feet... if he wants it.
Well, if Saishu doesn't know the old proverb about age and experience versus youth and speed, then Shenwoo isn't going to tell him! Besides, just because he's half Chinese doesn't mean he's some kinda fortune cookie. Anyway, he's mostly sat up, but he's not about to turn down the help... Though he does give the offered hand a look before taking it and then using it to leverage himself back up to his feet. "Heh. If your kid's /half/ as strong as you are... I'll definitely have to track him down sometime," Shen notes. Though he might invest in some asbestos clothes, first. Because, damn.
Log created by Shenwoo, and last modified on 22:48:26 11/25/2005.