The Valley of The End {Yami vs Lunar Knights}

[Kodoku Itami]

"You know nothing, of what I've been through." He said calmly as he looked up at Rin. "The only times I've ever gotten stronger is through loss and suffering, I understand that now. The bonds must be severed." He smirked "It seems that you don't believe me though... Well, when you pointed out how weak I was, when you hurt me with words sharper than any blade... I unlocked a great power... Let me show you!" He closed his eyes, before the left one shot open, his Mangekyo Sharingan on display.

"AMATERASU!"

He focused on the metal platform on which Rin which stood, black flames suddenly bursting onto the bottom of it, and starting to burn straight through. Itami quickly covered the eye with a gasp, before taking a few steps back and preparing his sword once again. "That is only the beginning..." He grunted "After Amaterasu, comes Tsukuyomi... Then Susanoo... And then..?" He chuckled "Only the gods know."

[Rin Tezuka]

Reacting quickly, I heard the word Blindfold had warned me about. "Amaterasu..." I jumped back two platforms, the one I was just standing on beginning to melt and burn. Looking Trench Coat in his red eyes, I nod. "I know all about Amaterasu.. It never stops burning things, right? Just like what you're doing to yourself." I say no more. Another pathway of platforms takes shape, and I start running it. "Kodoku Itami! Open your eyes, man! You'll never be as strong as you want like this! And I'll take you down to prove it!" Leaping from this platform, I close in on him, and swipe my right arm in an arc to cut with the blade.

[Kodoku Itami]

"You'll prove nothing!" Itami growled as he brought his own sword around to parry away the strike of her blade. He leaped away from Rin, and started making hand signs at a furious pace. "All that you'll prove is that I'm the greater fighter here!" He stopped making hand signs before leaping up into the air, flipping over his opponent.

"Katon; Great Dragon Fire Jutsu!"

Itami brought his head back, before lurching forwards, spewing out a huge ball of fire in the shape of a dragons head, the intense heat of the flames became clear as the water over which the technique soared suddenly evaporated and became scalding hot steam, the upward air current suddenly started to form of Thunder Clouds above them as the dragon blazed its way towards Rin.

[Rin Tezuka]

"It's... hot..." I murmur through the pain of the steam stabbing at my skin, starting a rust on my forearms. "N...no... It's not ending here." I clap my hands together in an attempt to form the correct sign... I jump up, and the fire hits me.

Or rather, a log-shaped block of metal. It melts almost instantly as I appear behind Itami. "Behind you, Trench Coat!" Kurai taught me the substitution, finally. I'd... wanted to learn it form Itami... but that wasn't happening. I remove the blades from my arm, making it a regular fist as I punch Itami directly in the face, sending him crashing back down to the water.

I let myself fall, focusing my energies into the bottom of my feet to land solidly on the water. "Itami... Why can't you understand...? I'm your friend. You said it yourself... You shouldn't attack me like this." I sigh heavily, leaning into a relaxed position, like I was leaning on something. "Come with us... Get off this bad path."

[Kodoku Itami]

Itami skimmed across the water like a stone, bouncing along as he went, he eventually dug his hand into the water and brought himself to a huge halt. Completely drenched from head to toe, he stood up, a small sincere smile spread across his face. "I knew you'd pick it up eventually... Rin-chan." his fist clenched tightly. "But I'm sick of you lecturing me." He said through gritted teeth, his voice suddenly turning cold.

The clouds above them suddenly clapped with thunder, lightning bolts striking the cliffs above them, as a huge dragon seemingly formed of lightning clambered through the clouds, hovering above Itami, it took up the space between the two statues that both sides had been stood upon a few minutes ago. Itami raised his hand which was then struck by lightning, the blue energy glowing around it, he fixed his Sharingan eyes upon Rin.

"Now, vanish with the roar of thunder."

The huge creature suddenly crawled back up into the clouds, disappearing from view, before Itami swung his hand down towards the ground.

"Kirin!"

The dragon poked it's head from the clouds again with a roar, before suddenly shooting down in the form of a lightning bolt, travelling to the ground within 1/1000th of a second.

[Rin Tezuka]

The lightning... I'd seen it. In a split moment, my eyes had glowed a bright silver, shooting a metal bar up into the sky. The steel absorbed the dragon, like a lightning. Of course, such a sudden reflexive attack winded me, and I fell backwards on the water, but stabilizing myself enough to maintain a sitting position. The water was scarce, but enough to slow down if I had let myself fall in.

"Itami..." I mumble to myself. It was upsetting... seeing him not accept me. To accept everything. "I don't know your problem... But I don't care! I'm not letting you do this!"

Concentrate my own inner energies... Gather them to my palm... It was particularly hard, channeling my own physical energy into the palm of the steel hand... I close my eyes. Rotate it... In all directions, not just one. I could feel the energy massing...

Ryn. Now. I need your energy.
Right! In the energy gathered, a blue-gray ball forms above her hand, hovering. "This is a jutsu taught to me by Blindfold! This is RASENGAN!" I jump up, focusing Ryn's powers to create steps that I ran up, on my way to Itami. "I'm going to stop you right now!"

[Kodoku Itami]

"Hmph." Itami snorted with a shake of his head. "Do you really think that out-dated Jutsu will stop me..?" He held up his free hand which started to glow with white and blue energy, before crackling off with bolts of lightning. "Although, Rin-chan, you survived Kirin... I'm impressed." He locked eyes with her, leaping from his spot towards her and her Rasengan.

"CHIDORI!" He cried, thrusting his palm forwards.

[Rin Tezuka]

I only grin, finally seeing him use that attack. This is what I'd been waiting for. "RASENGAN!" I call out, thrusting my palm into his. The attacks collide, creating a burst of energy that almost made me fly backwards. But I gained my footing and began pushing forward. "Trench Coat! You have the sharpest eyes ever, according to Blindfold... Why don't you use them!" My hand was going to start collapsing if I didn't push him back quick. Some fast repairs after this... Hurry up, Rin! I mentally screamed at myself.

"Rrrraaah!" My body snaps forward, jerking my arm even further out. "ITAMI!" I was able to advance two steps...

[Kodoku Itami]

Itami growled as his arm was forced backwards slightly. He needed more power!

"Mangekyou Sharingan!"

He closed his eyes before the left one flickered open again, the elliptical design taking the place of the normal three tomoe. Suddenly, everything became more clear, this was his first time using it for anything other than Amaterasu, and it seemed to give him a huge boost in strength. "I am using my eyes!" He growled. "And they'll be even sharper when we're finished here! He suddenly pushed forwards, snapping his arm forwards, advancing five steps with ease.

[Rin Tezuka]

"Nnnghhh... Idiot... That's not.. what I... meant!" It was hard, pushing him back. He'd gotten a few steps on me... "You're such a jellyfish!" I grit my teeth and force him back two steps. "I don't get you! Not even a little!" One more step. The sound of grinding metal begins screeching at both our ears. My arm was going to break soon... With no option left, I pull my head back and slam it into his.

The disrupted blast sent me spiraling back, landing face-first on the water. And... my head really hurt... Staring down, the water seemed so dark... But the sky was so bright. Before the clouds, anyway... Why was it so different? They were so close to each other. The water, and the sky... The planet is the area between them. Weren't we both there? In the between? Shouldn't we be able to understand each other? Why couldn't we...?

[Kurai Horo]

Kurai opened his eyes, having completed his preparations, the eye looked like a pinwheel in shape as Kurai focused on the caster of the spell. If he could break his opponents concentration, he's surely be saved. Well, that's what he was hoping for at least.

"Kamui!""

The right side of Natas/Alvaro suddenly started to twist inwards, on itself...

[Natas/Alvaro]

"Wh.. WHAT IS THIS?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME, YOU DAMNED NINJA?!" It was clearly his intention to break Alvaro's concentration. Unfortunately for him, it had succeeded. Alvaro ducks from the dimension break, rolling away as it turned into a complete wormhole.

"Kurai... Horo... You've gotten even better than what I've heard of you.. It's... delicious. Come! Give me more of your power!" Now that Itami had done his thing, the clouds coated the sky. Just as planned...
"Oh, Mistress of Darkness, hear my plea. Have me be one with you, show me your glee. Merge me with you, make my bloodlust come true!

Immediately, he bares his exposed fangs and sinks into the ground. Everything was now covered in shadow. Everything was his domain...

[Kodoku Itami]

"Itami was flung backwards, but flipping through the air, he landed on his feed, sliding backwards as if he was on an ice rink, before eventually coming to a halt. He looked across at Rin. "They say... That when two great warriors clash, they can read each others thoughts... Know what they're thinking with just a glance... Can you read my thoughts, Rin Tezuka..? Do you know what drives me?!"

"Wh-what is this..?" A young Kodoku Itami stared, wide-eyed at the scene before him. The Kodoku District, all of it was ablaze, buildings were destroyed... The dead littered the streets... "M-mom..? D-dad..?!" Itami cried as he ran through towards his home at the center of the compound. His father was the Captain of the Guard, he'd be safe! He had to be, no-one could kill him! He burst into his home, two corpses lay on the ground, one on top of the other. His father appeared to have died, protecting his mother.

"Mom..." Itami asked, taking a step forward, eyes welling up with tears as he reached out with his hand. "D-dad..?" They started streaming now, the tears rolling down his cheeks as he collapsed onto his knees, beside the corpses of his parents. They were cold to touch, but all the same, he threw himself on top of them and wept, he cried and sobbed for hours on end, until he could cry no more. But he couldn't stay here... He had to leave... He needed to get stronger...

"I'll avenge you... I promise... I won't let the Kodoku die..."

Itami had both his eyes closed now, his body was shaking with anger. Then the shaking stopped, he sniffled... A red line ran down his cheek and a small smile spread across his face, he opened his eyes and shook his head. "Know my pain, Rin..." He muttered, making eye contact with her. "Know my pain!"

"Tsukuyomi!"

[Kurai Horo]

"Damn it..." He closed his eyes, it was like living a proper Genjutsu... But he had a feeling that simply causing himself physical harm wouldn't get him out of this. All of it could go badly if he didn't tread lightly. Overuse of Kamui would just tire him out with haste, he may as well save that for a more defensive opportunity, for now, he could use the Mangekyou simply as an enhanced Sharingan, to see his opponents strikes as they came.

His eyes flickered open again. "I hope you can hear me Zephyr..." He murmured. "This could get serious..." He felt a re-assuring presence around him.

"I'm always here, Kurai..."

[Rin Tezuka]

...red... Everything was red. Except the sky. That was black. But the moon... that was red, too. It was so.. boring. The lack of color was disappointing. But all the red... Red was good. At least that was a good theme. I wobble to my legs. "Where... am I right now...?" My metal arms had vanished as if they'd never been there. And I felt... small.

Then suddenly, I noticed corpses. Everywhere... In the streets. I watched a young boy, crying over his parents' corpses... I felt bad for him... I wanted to go talk to him, to tell him he'd be okay...
"I'll avenge you... I promise... I won't let the Kodoku die..."

That's when it hit me that this was Trench Coat's past. This was a re-enactment... of whatever it was that fueled him to take his path... and suddenly, it was clear.

"I... I can... I can tell your thoughts... I feel... so weak..." And with that, I fall to my knees. The pain in my chest was tearing me in half...