markofthebrave | [ Action, Voice ] .031

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[ Action, Voice ] .031

[If you are passing by the Southmost bridge at just the right time, you will find it hard not to notice the girl in an unusual dress and boots facedown on the ground. One shoulder is strangely disjointed, and there are bruises up and down her arms, particularly violent ones around her wrists. She looks like nothing more than a broken and discarded doll.

As the sun continues to set, the coolness in the ground will cause her to start to stir. When she sits up, she grimaces, moving as if there might be something wrong with her ribs. If you happen to be looking at her as she does, you'll notice the sickening blue and yellow bruise spread across her right collarbone, the lovely shiner on her eye.

The wonderful thing about Luceti? Sometimes there's a journal right where you need it. She barely has enough presence of mind to make sure the picture points away from her face, but her voice is very tired.]

Sokka, Aang - I'm back. [Sorry Suki, Zuko.] I'm okay.

[10 100 (thank you, Shikamaru) percent filter to Chopper, Raine]
Hey guys, if you're there - I could use a little help.

[She doesn't want her brother and Aang to see her like this.]

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But he was still just one person! How big was his clan?

[Yes, she's shifted focus to logistics. Because that is easier for her mind to comprehend than this - horrible thing that you're telling her.]

Larger than most. I don't know exactly how many - I was a kid when this happened. [Rough estimate? Over a hundred. But Katara looks very much like a girl who's heard enough bad news for one week, and he's not sure how she would take that information.]

I told you he was dangerous. [One of his world's worst criminals, even.] I'm sorry if that was vague, but it wasn't an exaggeration.

[...okay that wasn't good. She lifts her free hand to her mother's necklace as she automatically begins to puzzle out how such a thing would be possible, how she would-

-she feels sick.]

...I need to know what he can do. I saw him practicing with his knives and I know how accurate he is, but he also told me about something called 'chakra' based attacks. Can you tell me about those?

I can, but we'll be here for awhile. That sounds exhausting for the both of us. [Which isn't to say he won't. Think of it as a subtle way of asking if she really wants to hear it now.]

[She very much takes it that way. Aang. Zuko. Sigmund. Capell. She's got a lot on her mind already... a lot that she doesn't want to think about.

She looks down for a minute.]

...if you're too tired from the last week and you want to tell me later, that's fine. I'm not going to be leaving the house for a few days, and I won't be contacting him.

[Katara lifts her gaze to Shikamaru's now.] But I do need to know.

Troublesome. But I have little better to do anyways. [Ahahaha... yeah. He doesn't really want to go off and think about last week.

That she's listening to his warning is making him far more agreeable to speak to her about it though. He respects people who can listen to reason.]

To put it as simply as possible: jutsus are techniques that utilize a person's chakra. There are three main types of jutsu, and Itachi excels with all of them. Most people are lucky to specialize in one.

[Katara nods to show that she's following.] What are the different types of jutsu?

[He counts them off on his fingers as he goes.]

Taijutsu is the most basic of them. It's essentially hand-to-hand and weapons combat, and can be done without using chakra.

Genjutsu are illusory techniques and can effect any or all of the five senses. If the person using it is good enough, it can trick them completely. Trust me, getting stuck in one isn't fun.

Ninjutsu... they're far more varied. Essentially, they let you do things a normal person wouldn't be able to, either by manipulating shape or forces of nature. All of its effects are real though.

[...your world sounds scary, Shikamaru. Her brow furrows a bit and she nods again.]

And.. all of the ninja in your world do at least one of those three things well?

The good ones do. Or they're at least decent with it. You're not going to be a ninja for long if you can't manage any of them.

So... what you're saying is that he's got good defenses from a distance, that he can trap you in the same kind of illusions that the Malnosso can use, and that if you manage to get up close to him, he knows how to use his body as a weapon.

[Just making sure she's getting all that right.] And that's on top of his weapons training.

[He nods. But oh wait...] And on top of that he has an ability that was exclusive to his clan. His eyes can see the flow of chakra, which is usually invisible. When using it, he's twice as perceptive as a normal person. He can track movements as you're making them to the point where it might look like he's predicting it. He can memorize any technique he sees with it. It can be used for a unique type of hypnosis.

[It kinda sucks.]

[...

Well, that sounds distinctly unfair. There's a bit of a pause here as Katara once again glances down and tries to puzzle through all the implications of an ability like that.]

What if you don't have 'chakra?' Or if an ability is unique to your world or to something that you've - [eaten] - done?

[That is a very interesting question. He actually has to mull that over for a few seconds.]

Every living being in my world has chakra - whether they've accessed it or even know of its existence is another story, but we all have it. I wouldn't know if there are people here who don't have chakra, but I would hazard a guess that it would matter very little either way. Itachi might not get anything off of them, but if you're not fast enough to keep up with him it's not going to matter.

[It sounds so much like chi... whether they have it in her world or not, she's willing to bet that what she does have is compatible enough to make this very difficult.]

How fast is he?

[How to put this in non-ninja terms...]

If he wanted to call on it, he could go from standing ten feet in front of you to being behind you before you even realied he'd moved.

[Her eyes widen.

That's fast. Not - impossible - but close.]

That's... really fast. [Frowning.] He doesn't fly, does he?

Heh. No, he can't do that. [If he can, it's never been seen anyways.] Even ninja have their limits.

[She nods. Ice, then. Lots of ice. On the ground.]

There are a few people here who can, so... so he'd still have to move on land, even if he is so fast.

[Your line of questioning gives a lot away, Katara.]

Depends on the terrain. It'd be easy to take advantage of something like a tree or a building and take the high ground that way.

[Her eyes widen a bit again. Use the trees? It'd be like fighting and airbender...

It'd be like fighting an Avatar.]

I see.

[She hasn't given up - not by a long shot. He can read that she's still thinking about it in the furrow of her brow. She's taking it very seriously as she looks down to think once again.]

Hn. Definitely a guy you wouldn't want to fight on your own. [Think all you want, Katara. If you ever run into him, that sort of thing will keep you alive. Running into him and fighting him is a different matter, however, and not something he suggests doing unless you're with more people.]

It's pretty troublesome that he's here, really. From what I hear he's dead back home.

Edited 2010-11-08 07:04 (UTC)

[Her gaze flickers up to him, fast and hard. If what he said was true... Good.

But she doesn't say that out loud, just nods a bit, still frowning slightly.]

That happens a lot here. Or - at least enough.

So I've heard. Sounds like messy business to me, but I figure that effects a person. I told you his motives might have changed because of Luceti. Honestly, he's lasted this long here without stirring up any trouble; if you leave him be, I doubt he'll be a problem.

[In case you're wondering what to do if you meet him at the grocery store or something.]

I'm not going to go looking for trouble.

[Coming back from the dead hadn't changed Jet at all. But when Azula had been here... she hadn't caused any trouble either. The last thing she wants to do is get herself involved in something that drags all her friends and family into danger.]

I just have one more question. You said ninjutsu were elemental, right? [Yes, this is how she interprets 'shape and forces of nature.'] Do you know which one he favors?

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