yourhatred | twenty-nine crows (朱) action/video

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twenty-nine crows (朱) action/video

[Itachi has dealt with a lot during his time in Luceti, and he's weathered it all as well as he can. As a ninja, he's been taught to withstand torture, and he had to deal with things that most would never even have to think about.

Sasuke and Naruto had gone home. He's happy for them, really. They're needed elsewhere. But for them to possibly lose all their memories of this place, for Sasuke to be without his mother again and for her to have to know that the son she'd talked to might be gone forever, it's heartbreaking. It's for the best, but his heart aches all the same.

He isn't a materialistic person, either. He could live with nothing but the clothes on his back and be fine. Losing items he's grown attached to is disheartening, but ultimately easy to get over.

Still, as he stands in his yard near the place his greenhouse should be, gently petting the small kitten in his hands that should be a fully grown cat, all but the most oblivious should be able to sense a dark aura of Displeasure about him. He'll stand there for some time, his attention to the cat becoming some small form of meditation.]

[video, later]

[Once he finally returns back inside, he'll spend some time in his living room - with a smoothie of all things, non-alcoholic. The kitten remains in his lap, having given in to the inevitable by now.]

Shifts like this.

It really makes you wonder about the nature of this place.

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[A bow before Law's eyes suddenly narrow and he springs to the side inhumanly fast.

He lunges in from that side, fist flying towards Itachi's head in a feint to draw his husband into blocking that. Before at the last moment dropping and sweeping his leg out, attempting to knock the ninja off his feet.]

[A feint, but Itachi is an expert at those. Most of his focus isn't on what he can see, anyway. His eyes haven't been good enough for that for some time. It's on the little intricacies of Law's movements - the way he sounds, breathes, the way his chakra feels.

When the fist comes at his head, he doesn't move or flinch. Being able to judge killer intent and whether something headed in his direction is actually aiming to hit him is something he mastered before he even joined ANBU.

He hops up as the pirate aims for his legs, intending to then grab Law's shoulders and flip over him completely.]

[Didn't expect that to work, really, and there's the proof as Itachi's fingers dig into his shoulder as he flips over him.

The pirate knows who's winning this spar and it's not him. Hand to hand is Itachi's strength - not Law's. He's better with weapons in close combat (not that he's helpless without them); it's a simple truth. Another is that Law's true strength is in mid and long range combat. The only benefit he has here is raw strength and endurance.

Winning's not the point, though - getting his husband through what's weighing him is. So holding out till that is accomplished is the goal.

He's got a moment while Itachi's flipping over him to knock that movement askew. Instinct surges at the perfect second of when Itachi has the least chance of recovering, and that sweeping spin kick suddenly twists up. Law's body twists and contorts as hands slam against the ground and spin - an explosion of movement up and around.

Something from Sanji's Red Leg playbook. Although his fellow pirate would probably cuss him out for its execution.]

[He has less of a chance of recovering from that position, it's true, but the chance isn't zero. The ninja adjusts quickly, twisting in the air so that that kick just barely misses him, then flips back again after he hits the ground in order to put some distance between them.

No sharingan. No tricks. He's developed techniques to end fights quickly, as he gets no enjoyment in dragging out the pain of others. (The Tsukuyomi being something of an exception.) But this isn't a fight. This is a spar, and there's little need for him to resort to those methods here.]

[Law flips back on his feet and immediately on guard for the next attack. His eyes narrow in appraisal as he sees Itachi has put distance between them and he once again begins to drift to the side.

But he doesn't press the attack. Instead he waits, watching for an opening, allowing instinct to dictate that moment of attack or evasion.]

[There's a moment where Itachi squints, taking in the blur that his poor eyesight allows. Then he closes his eyes entirely. The less he tries to focus on what he can't see, the more he'll be able to focus on the senses that work. It's for this same reason that he'd been wearing a blindfold around the house on occasion.

The movement is incredibly quick, though not the flash-step type move he could perform using chakra. One moment he's crouched a ways away, the next he has an elbow aimed at Law's midsection.]

[He has warning. Instinct flares. And Law dodges to the side and forward, elbow skimming along his side, and the pirate's own knee coming up for an answering blow to Itachi's own midsection.

This close it should be a simple matter to get hold and pull the extended ninja further along his own line of momentum into that knee. Right?]

[It should be, but the dodge was expected - landing a hit on Law would rarely be that easy.

The moment he misses he twists, facing the pirate enough to use his knee as a springboard to hop away again. Except this time he doesn't stay back for long. He practically ricochets off the trunk of a nearby tree to come back at Law, and this time his aim is higher.]

[Failed again. And now he has a fist to the face to contend with. It doesn't hit full on, it grazes his cheek and Law moves with the blow to negate what impact there is.

It's still a hit though. It's an opportunity too and its worth that hit if he can get a blow under Itachi's guard somehow. Except a kick or a punch would be the expected response from him.

Instead Law attempts a throw as he falls back, twists, and lets that fist continue to travel. Even if he's outclassed, he should be able to catch Itachi once. He has to make it count when he does.]

[The throw succeeds, for the moment. Blind as he is, the follow-up would have been more difficult. He goes with the toss, but latches onto Law's arm in return.]

[Craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap.

Twisting, twisting now in that grip. Congratulations, Itachi, you're taking Law with you.

Slamming right into you in the process. Just as planned, right?]

[Just as planned.

The ninja wraps both legs around the pirate to get them rolling, maneuvering their weight so that he can pin him to the ground.]

[Oh hey it's that game we play in bed. Law grins when it looks like Itachi has got him pinned. Leans up to steal a kiss.

Flip.

Gotta do better than that to keep him down, partner. Law's great strength isn't chakra enhanced at all. It is completely natural.]

[Unfortunately for Law, the ninja isn't quite in the mood.

Control is important. He's practiced it for years. It's why he's been able to endure as long as he has. It's why his eyes don't flash red as he's rolled back over.

But his teeth clench under a cold expression. He pulls his legs up in order to shove them hard into his partner and free himself from his current position.]

Oof--

[Ow. That smarts. Certainly not even approaching the worst he's ever had but, ow.

Back he goes and he's on his feet in a second and ready, tight smile on his face. There we go - there's the beginning of the slip he's been looking for.

He wants what's brewing in his husband out before it gets worse. He doesn't want Itachi to lock it down - it'd still be there - it needs to be on the surface and dealt with.

So he's on the attack once more. Hopefully before Itachi can completely close down.

Incoming.]

[Incoming. Itachi is ready before it even happens. He knows it's coming.

He's on his feet, moving to engage quickly. His arms are a flurry of motion, blows carefully aimed despite their speed.]

[For the moment Law's keeping up. He's got incentive to - a reason.

And everyone fought better with a reason.

Blows are blocked and returned. He presses forward, inch by inch. Not letting up. Not letting Itachi under his guard. Not relenting in trying to get under his husband's.

A fight isn't a just a fight after all. It's a conversation.

And the pirate presses forth even harder.]

[It's difficult, having to figure out where each returned blow will come from without being able to see them. Still he's relentless. He has no reason to try and win this fight - it's just a spar, after all - but that's not how it feels at the moment and that's not how his body wants to react.

He's reminding himself constantly - hand-to-hand only. Such reminders shouldn't be necessary, and that bothers him further.

Itachi moves suddenly to pull back again, to calm himself and re-evaluate things. To rebuild that crumbling wall.]

[The wall's crumbling and Law's the demolition man. It's in every blow he blocks, in every move Itachi makes that counters his husband.

It's in how he retreats to regroup.

So naturally Law comes right with him. The wall's crumbling. It's time for it to come down.]

Let go, partner. Let it out.

[Let go of your pain. Let go of your grief. Let go of your anger.

Let it all go.

Stop holding back.]

[Itachi's eyes open again at that. A little wide, a little glaring.

He's still on the defensive. The wall wants to come back up, especially at those words, but too much is keeping that from being as easy as it usually is.]

You don't want that.

[His voice is quiet, but sharp. An Uchiha releasing his emotions has rarely been known to be anything but bad.]

[The look Itachi gets back is just as sharp.]

The more you keep it in, the stronger it will get. The more destructive it will get. Until it explodes out eventually. And I don't want that.

[You need this.

No really, he does. The fact that the wall's coming down so fast is telling. It's either an explosion or a slow release of pressure. Everyone has a breaking point after all. Everyone. Law's willing to take the consequences. Has been from the start.

He's strong enough to take them. Strong enough to survive.

Strong enough to get right back up.]

[Itachi straightens up. He closes his eyes as he takes several deep breaths, one hand raising to cover his bad eye completely. He doesn't expect an attack to come just then. The pirate would know better.

When his eye opens again, it's flared a bright red. The choice to fight hand to hand only has officially been rescinded.

The ninja's form dissolves into a murder, the crows taking to the trees and alighting on the branches, letting out a raucous of distressed cawing.]

[No, not an attack, but a concentration of power. As Itachi's eye flares a bright red, there's an answering spike in the pirate's eyes that now seem very, very blue.

Room explodes outwards from Law's body. No swirling mass summoned from a hand, instead the sphere blasts out from his core and an invisible wind picks up within the confines of the territory, lifting thousands of leaves into the air, sending them into a swirling storm. His sword appears in his hand.

He can't trust his five senses. This is genjutsu - they are hijacked and he doesn't have the skill to break the illusion. Only pain might work and that would be counter productive at this point. But he can use his Haki, and he can use his Devil Fruit to disguise how he intends to ferret out Itachi.

The leaves are only the screen. The Ope Ope no Mi and Kenbunshoku Haki the obvious answers and therefore the ones Itachi would first focus on. Not Law's strongest filial pact. Can genjutsu override the sense of the currents of the air through Kipinn's magic?

The pirate would soon find out.]

[If he only focused on that, perhaps. That and that alone. The sense of touch is affected by the genjutsu as much as anything else.

He knows the pirate is aware of his capabilities in regards to illusionary techniques, so he can only guess at what the other has planned as a counter. Itachi had developed his skills specifically with the goal of taking down enemies quickly and without killing them unless it became necessary. If he'd wanted to, he could have knocked out the other man with a glance, but that's not what they were out here for.

He'll draw this out because he needs to.

The scattered leaves turn black, the feathers of the ninja's usual birds. The cawing grows louder, the flutter of wings adding to the noise as birds dart through the scattered mess.

Itachi's figure takes shape out of the feathers in front of him, two blows aimed at his midsection. Another appears behind him, a strike aimed at the back of his neck. Neither are real, and will vanish before the attacks land.

The hands that burst from the ground, obviously fake as Itachi has no skill in earth ninjutsu nor any connection with the filial spirit of that nature, will feel very solid, however. Their grip at Law's ankles is strong, unshakable.

The real ninja stands in the branches above, unmoving for the moment.]

[Itachi is doing as he always does. Observing. Analysing for weakness before moving into the kill. Law knows he will go for the strategy that will cost him the least energy. So he's hiding somewhere.]

Grrrrgk!

[That doesn't stop all this from feeling real. Can't stop the tensing as figures appear to strike and disappear into the air. Can't stop the subtle flinch as hands like irons grip his ankles.

It's not real though. He's only being shackled by Itachi's mind.

The illusion is mild too; it doesn't stop the unease bubbling in his subconscious. Itachi's never tortured him with a genjutsu - but Law had been tortured similarly by the Rogues. It's a struggle to keep a lid on it.

But the pirate stands his ground. His fist clenches.

And every single branch on every single tree in the Room snaps towards the trunk of the tree they're growing from in a lightning quick warping of matter. Smoking you out, ninja.

Then his arm shoots out.]

SCAN!

[Disarming you completely too. If Itachi's still within Room, he won't be able to avoid Law's seeking power. Every kunai, shuriken, wire, scroll, tag, and other shinobi tool will disappear off the ninja's person in a blaze of blue light. Not only that, but the weapons in any caches in the area as well.

They're Law's now. In a place only Law knows and can access.

The pirate's forcing a more chakra intensive fight. Limiting what Itachi can do at long range a bit. He'll whittle down Itachi's options bit by bit to put them on more equal ground.]

twenty-nine crows (朱) action/video

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