The Dragon of Kumogakure (Ikari's promotion RP)

Kumogakure's sky always looked beautiful. Like something out of a dream, with midnight auroras and daylight clouds that made the sky look to be filled with cotton. Ikari always admired the sky, a chuunin from Kumogakure dressed in midnight clothing. She usually just read her book, but this day was different. She was keeping to herself on the square's bench, noting the people passing and reading her manga, however she noticed a shadow that overlooked her, and it was all too familiar. She paused her reading and spoke. "You're blocking my light you, know, Kasenaga-san." The Uchiha just narrowed his eyes down at her as he returned conversation. "Ikari-san, now's not the time for jokes." Her playful grin disappeared and he kept his voice low. "Ikari, Tohru is missing..." Ikari's eyes widened. Kasenaga was her teacher as a genin, as Tohru were one of her squad mates, the medical ninja. Both were Uchiha. Though now Tohru was missing, and the only explanation was that she was kidnapped. Tohru never left the village except during a mission, and when something like this arose, it was serious.

Ikari shut her book and stood to her feet. "When are we leaving?" She asked him with a stern look. He responded with a muted sigh. "We... aren't. You are. I can't go with you, Raikage-sama has me on high alert since those robed shinobi showed up." She frowned and nodded. "Hai.. I understand." He handed her a map, and turned away from her starting to walk away before pausing. "I'd like for you to hurry, we believe it's the Covenant. They're getting desperate, and we tracked her to one of their camps in Fire Country." She nodded and began to leave in the opposite direction, before he spoke again. "And Ikari... be careful. I don't know what they're up to." She glanced back to him and nodded. "I'll be fine. I promise."

Her way to fire country was simple; no one dared camp in lightning country due to the high alert, and very few managed to get within undetected. Ikari decided to take a rest at the borders, setting up a small campfire as she sat around it to keep warm. "Hold on Tohru-chan... I'm coming." She muttered to herself, under her breath. It was night now, and she had rested enough to continue moving. An assault during the night would be best, due to the low light. She extinguished her fire, and continued on her way towards Fire Country, following the map she was given. It marked eastern fire country, and she made her way there before stopping along a treeline, watching down at the camp.

Sharingan.

Her eyes warped into two tomoes as she peered into the camp, marking each of their chakra signatures before moving in close, avoiding detection the best she could. She slid behind one of the tents, as she listened, hearing conversation within the tent she took cover. ".. girl, why can't you just shut up?" A sharp sound was heard, like a clap, then the thud of someone hitting the floor. "You're so useless, I can't believe we're doing this... what, for your eyes and shit?" The man scoffed. "Tch, who cares?" Ikari can't see inside, so she can't tell who they are or how strong they are, or even numbers... but her listening skills were well above average, and she could hear the familiar voice of Tohru. "P-Please.. whatever you want, just take it and let me go.." She sniffled and there was another slap with a shriek of Tohru's voice. "Silence, brat." Ikari mused to herself, thinking she could easily torch the place and kill all of them... but then Tohru's life would be endangered. She stood aside, keeping quiet while she thought.

"Look, girl, we're not gonna kill you... we're just gonna take those pretty eyes of yours, and then dump you off somewhere. Alright?" Ikari rolled her eyes. Like that was a better outcome than death. She waited until she hear silence in the tent, aside from subtle sniffles from Tohru. She crept around to the front, and peered inside, quickly moving to the shadows of the tent so she wasn't seen, assuming there were people other than Tohru that were still awake. She noted the three covenant ninja sleeping in their beds, and Ikari moved over to Tohru without a sound, whispering to her. "Shh..." She put her finger over her lips when she looked to Tohru, before reaching to the lock and using her finger like a blowtorch to melt the lock. Though shortly after she opened the door, she noticed a shadow block out the light from the lantern. Shit. She huffed and stood to her feet as she turned to look behind her, noticing one of the covenant ninja standing silently. He stood slightly taller than Ikari, wearing a man's kimono with a katana at his side. He wasn't a ninja, she thought to herself... he was a hired ronin.

He spoke with a very gentle tone, looking to her as though she wasn't a threat. "Can I help you?" She muttered and the tomoes of her sharingan started to spiral, as she looked into his eyes. The man just grinned and set his hand on his katana's pommel. "My, my... you're certainly quick to trigger." Ikari's eyes widened slightly. The genjutsu didn't work..?! He drew his katana slowly, and Ikari just took in a deep breath, before speaking quietly. "Look... I don't want to kill you or your friends... just let me take her." He grinned slightly. "I was planning on it... but first, I wanted a fight with a true shinobi. I haven't had a chance to fight one since I left Steel Country." She blinked. He wanted a fight? He spoke softly again, and turned with his weapon still drawn. "Meet me outside. If you win, you can take her... if you lose, I will kill you." And then he was gone. She grunted silently and thought it'd be easier just to take her and escape now while he wasn't expecting it... but that's probably exactly what he was expecting. She helped Tohru out and had her follow while she made her way outside and towards the renegade samurai.

"This is going to be very simple.." He started. "No genjutsu tricks... as you know, they won't work on me. Fight me without using tricks, and I'll consider you a true warrior. Otherwise, your life is mine." She nodded slowly. "I accept." It was silent for long moment as they mentally prepared for the final fight of either's life. Several leaves fell slowly from the trees surrounding them, and the moment one touched the ground, the ronin was gone, having vanished and appeared at Ikari's throat. She winced and suddenly grinned before fading into plumes of blue fire, and he took a quick step back to avoid being burned. He huffed and glanced behind him, noticing the blue lighting from behind as he quickly rolled to the side as a massive blue fireball roared past him. She stood, watching him with her sharingan as the blue flames died down. "You're not a match for shinobi, ronin." Tohru watched from the side, admiring Ikari's techniques and cheering her on silently. He grinned and rose his katana over his head as Ikari began to handseal. When she finished, she grinned as the ground shook beneath him, before consuming him in a pillar of blue flames, with white-hot magma at the base. "Too bad, ronin-san." She said as she lowered her hands. Tohru gasped, and the taste of steel caught her back, as Ikari slung forwards. "G-Ghnn..!" She thought to herself with a surprised expression... When did he move..?

Ikari glanced back to notice the man's own sharingan, as he grinned down at her. "You're not going to defeat me." She grunted and stood to her feet, while blood trickled from her back. "We'll... see about that.." She said with a grin as her tomoes began to spiral slowly, trying to lock him in the genjutsu... of course, he just pushed it away using his own dojutsu, but that was her plan. "Don't underestimate me." She said as a roar caught his ears... He made the mistake of focusing on the genjutsu, letting his guard down physically. The blue flaming dragon crashed down at him, engulfing him with searing-hot flames and he roared in pain. Having him collapsed on the ground, she huffed and stepped over to Tohru. He spoke with a grunt of pain. "Ghnnn... D-Don't... just leave me here.. finish me off!" Ikari glanced back at him and smiled. "I'd rather you live and harbor vengeance for me, than for me to take the life of a truely powerful fighter." And with that, she made her way back to Kumogakure with Tohru.