Konoha; Taijustu II

Santsuki no Mai; Dances of the Sun and Moon.


- Description and Rules:

-- This combination style starts on two paths, Tsuki no Kenbu (Sword Dances of the Moon) and Taiyou no Kenbu (Sword Dances of the Sun), and ends at one, Shoku Rekuiemu (Eclipse Requiem). The two beginning substyles and the combined style each count as a separate list. In other words, a shinobi who has completely mastered Santsuki no Mai is almost unbeatable.

-- It is completely acceptable to master only Tsuki no Kenbu or only Taiyou no Kenbu. The shinobi is not obligated to try and learn the combined style as both of the substyles can easily stand as their own solid style. The shinobi is also not required to learn the two beginning substyles in tandem, but a certain level of proficiency at one style does not equal the same level of proficiency with the other.

-- A sword is obviously needed for this style, and it must be a sword that can be freely handled without attachment to the body in any way. No hidden blades, and nothing shorter than a wakizashi is allowed.
-- Santsuki no Mai is open to all Leaf shinobi (former or current).
-- Bunshin no Jutsu is a requirement for learning any special techniques, though not for taking the style itself.



-Style History:
-- A little-known rivalry that shook the heavens itself existed in Konoha not 70 or 80 years ago. A lot of people at the time, though his name isn't remembered as well now, were familiar with the name Gekkou Tokoshi, the grandson of the brother of Gekkou Hayate, who took Hayate's theories on how the beautiful Mikazuki no Mai could be extended, and created one of the most beautiful techniques ever seen: the Tsuki no Kenbu (Sword Dances of the Moon). It was an illusory sword dance style of Konoha that used bunshins on a higher level. He was called 'The Moon Dancer' because of it, and his sheer mastery and fluidity of technique was unmatched. His own obsession with innovating his style however, made him a terrible Jounin; he neglected his duties, his village, his Genin that he was supposed to be responsible for, and even his own son, whom he found a disappointment because he did not have the natural talent of Tokoshi and could only achieve a couple of his father's works. But the Moon Dancer's sheer beauty with a blade was so fierce and so gorgeous that his accomplishments could not be ignored...

... But that isn't the full story.

-- What isn't so well-known is that part of Tokoshi's sheer hatred of anything not related to his sword style was in regards to a Leaf shinobi named Kokoro Shado, who was a genius of the katana and the Mikazuki no Mai as well. Shado always found the technique to be too slow with style and lacking substance, and sought ways to change its fundamentals slightly to strike the opponent harder and faster. And thus, he developed the Irihi no Mai (Dance of the Dawning Sun), based on the positions of the sun in the sky, a sword technique that uses chakra to jet the user, appearing on the right side of his opponent, go towards and past the opponent at increased speed for a very short distance with his bunshin clone appearing on the left side of the opponent and doing the exact same technique, and, at the moment of impact, feeding a little more chakra into the clone so that for a split second, the clone becomes corporeal and slices the opponent with the wielder at the same time. The two struck as one in an X-formation, streaming past the opponent after the attack. In this technique, it was blatantly obvious who the real user was and who the clone was, because the clone was very translucent (the user was using the extra chakra to make the clone corporeal for a split-second at the time of striking and for the slight speed-up), because the focus was to strike fast, not to confuse the opponent.

-- Tokoshi and Shado were bitter, bitter rivals. Tokoshi hated Shado for developing this technique and insulting the Mikazuki no Mai's style, and Shado, in turn, was jealous of the beauty of Tokoshi's sword technique, which he could never quite replicate (even though Tokoshi could not replicate Shado's sheer strike power), though his technique was fluid in its own way. And thus they constantly worked to one-up each other. The two had gone through the academy together, trained as Genins under the same Jounin together, fought to a standstill in a round of the Chuunin exam together and both passed, and developed their own styles under their own technique, Tokoshi the Tsuki no Kenbu using Hayate's theories, and Shado the Taiyou no Kenbu based on his sheer hatred of Tokoshi. The Dances of the Sun and the Moon were created, and the two ninjas feuded day and night in their own private war that no one was even aware of, dueling at one shinobi's house or the other and constantly working to undermine the other's technique. Tokoshi, 'The Moon Dancer', and Shado, 'The Sun Dancer', as they mockingly called themselves, worked hard to make the other ashamed.

-- But when both men turned around 28 years of age... something happened. Shado contracted a deadly virus from a mission, and fell into a coma, dying less than four months later. Tokoshi was left alone... not with a rival... not with anyone to fight... a man he had dedicated his entire existence to defeating and suddenly finding himself robbed of destiny. Robbed of the very man who had truly driven him to do incredible things with his sword, he realized that without a Kokoro Shado, there was no Gekkou Tokoshi...and realized how much of a real friend Kokoro Shado truly was...

-- On that day, Tokoshi vowed to himself that he would never stop practicing or innovating his style, pushing aside or outright ignoring everything else, preparing the day when he would die and his spirit would finally get the chance to eternally lock swords with Shado once again in the afterlife. If you had talent with a blade, he would eagerly pass his knowledge onto you, but if you did not have the talent, he didn't wish to waste his time...

-- But history remembers Tokoshi only as the man who put aside his duty, his life, and even his own son to use his time to work and work on his beautiful sword technique and dance the darkness.

-- However, throughout his life and till his death, Tokoshi had kept a journal on his own various theories of the continuations of the Tsuki no Kenbu and Shado's Taiyou no Kenbu (what isn't well-known is that he had also made himself learn Shado's style after Shado died), and even the possibility of an Eclipse, a combination technique that uses a mastery of both styles to create a lethal, beautiful, deadly combined style.

-- Tokoshi's last words in his journal were "It is my deepest regret that the Sun and Moon did not become one. In the moon there is mystery, in the sun there is power. If only my hatred for Shado could have been eclipsed by the sheer magnitude and beauty of our styles... together, we would have danced the stars."

-- Perhaps in the last decade or so, a small group of Konoha's talented blade-using shinobi discovered Tokoshi's journal (kindly donated by Gekkou Mitsuki), and using the path set forth by Tokoshi and Shado, whom they now consider legends, used their predecessor's guidelines and their own cunning to update and create advanced sword dance styles (called cumulatively Santsuki No Mai - Sun and Moon Dances) out of both the Tsuki no Kenbu and the Taiyou no Kenbu, and most recently, used Tokoshi's theory on combining the Sun Dance and the Moon Dance to create the ultimate blend sword-style, the Shoku Rekuiemu (Eclipse Requiem). The shinobi have kept the traditional names of all the techniques while also using a little bit of more recent innovations in dance to spice things up a bit.

-- Thus, a new age of Moon Dancers, Sun Dancers, and Eclipse Dancers in Konoha has arisen, and the innovations of both the past shinobi and the present shinobi may yet see in the future a rise in the number of sword-wielding ninja in the village and possibly even one day rival the thought to be unstoppable sword-users of Mist Village…


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- Tsuki no Kenbu; Sword Dances of the Moon.

- Style Description:
-- Moon Dancers are shinobi who are completely the followers of Gekkou Tokoshi's technique, the Tsuki no Kenbu. They focus on style and confusion for the perfect strike. Thus, practitioners of this style commonly like to twirl and spin their sword when fighting to make the opponent second-guess from where they may strike. In fact, Moon Dancers are most famous for being crafty… If their enemies do not have sharp eyes and swift minds, they are in deep, deep trouble. The flashy movements of these shinobi involve flowing dance steps, not so much quick as beautiful, and are very powerful, combining flair with strength. They prefer to weave as they run at a target, adding more of an overall feeling of grace rather than sheer desire to kill.

-- The special techniques are based on the phases of the moon, and built off the traditional Mikazuki no Mai (Dance of the Crescent Moon) and culminates with the use of bunshin clones dashing around the opponent in unison to shatter the opponent's target sense and practically guarantee a strike. The more advanced attacks, based off various types of moons throughout the year adds in additional circles of circling bunshins of increasing size around the user, each circle's bunshins moving in the opposite direction from the one smaller than it. For instance, if the smallest circle's bunshins around the opponent are turning left, the next largest circle circling around the target is turning right, and the next larger one left, etc. With such a beautiful and well-timed dance of so many bunshin clones moving in such perfect unison in opposite directions in increasingly larger circling rings, the opponent will be left oblivious to where the strike will come from, no matter how good their senses are.

-- However, because Moon Dancers choose style over speed, their strikes are not as fast as some other sword styles and can still be dodged if the opponent realizes where the attack is coming from. Also, weapon users enjoy less limb flexibility when fighting than pure hand-to-hand taijutsu artists, and find it especially irksome when they find themselves matched up against those who specialize in long-range attacks.

- Style Basis: Ninjutsu.

- Training Methods:
-- Moon Dancers like to train with a friend or two, especially friends that won’t flinch at the possibility of getting cut once or twice. Starting off with warm-ups, the shinobi quickly moves into a kind of sword ‘juggling’, where they whip the blade around one’s body by turning them over one’s arm using the wrist as a pivot point. Style is essential to the Tsuki no Kenbu, after all. Then, applying their sword juggling techniques, the shinobi moves to the offensive, sparring with his partners in this way and trying to land hits while maintaining the called-for grace that Gekkou Tokoshi valued so highly.



[ STAGE: ONE. ]

- Stances: [None.]
- Regular Techniques: [None.]

- Special Techniques:
- Mikazuki No Mai; Dance of the Crescent Moon Technique.
- Description:
-- A sword technique that creates two replicas (one bunshin, one real). Together, they attack in a dance of swords that confuses the opponent.



[ STAGE: TWO. ]

- Stances: [None.]
- Regular Techniques: [None.]

- Special Techniques:
- Hantsuki No Mai; Dance of the Half Moon Technique.
- Description:
-- This particular sword dance technique improves the Mikazuki no Mai by adding a third replica behind the opponent that attacks with the other two (two bunshin, one real), creating a three-pronged attack around the opponent in a triangular formation, further confusing the possibility of which angle the attack is coming from.



[ STAGE: THREE. ]

- Stances: [None.]
- Regular Techniques: [None.]

- Special Techniques:
- Meigetsu No Mai; Dance of the Full Moon Technique.
- Description:
-- The sword-dance of the Leaf is taken on a new level of mysticism as four replicas (three bunshin, one real) attack the opponent from a target's four corners, two in the front and two in the back, equalizing a change of getting attacked from in front or behind and making it harder for the enemy to determine where to fight.

- Shingetsu no Mai; Dance of the New Moon Technique.
- Description:
-- The increased chakra used in Dance of the New Moon now starts to reveal a greater power. The opponent is completely surrounded by five replicas in a circle (four bunshin, one real), all standing around him and attacking at the same time. With so many replicas working together, the odds of selecting from which angle the attack is coming from becomes very low.

[ STAGE: FOUR. ]

- Stances: [None.]
- Regular Techniques: [None.]

- Special Techniques:
- Orion no Mai; Dance of Orion Technique.
- Description:
-- This advanced technique uses more chakra to add another transculent clone behind the target. With two clones and the real user moving so fast they leave only a three-slash trail behind them, they attack the target simultaneously. Speed is still 2x Irihi no Mai, and strike power is boosted to 2x Irihi no Mai with the third clone.

- Shishiza no Mai; Dance of Leo Technique.
- Description:
-- The two translucent clones may be placed anywhere around the target as long as they are the same distance from the target as the user. Speed is 2.5x that of Irihi no Mai. Power is the same, 2x Irihi no Mai.



[ STAGE: FIVE. ]

- Stances: [None.]
- Regular Techniques: [None.]

- Special Techniques:
- Pegasasu no Mai; Dance of Pegasus Technique.
- Description:
-- Adds a third clone that becomes corporeal at the moment of strike. Speed is boosted to 3x Irihi no Mai, and striking power is now 2.5x Irihi no Mai.

- Go Ten Kyohaku Mai; Five-Point Star Dance Technique.
- Description:
-- Considered to be the greatest legacy of Shado's technique by itself. There is now a fourth clone with the other three clones and the user surrounding the target in a star formation. The four clones are not translucent anymore, so determining the real one becomes inexplicably hard. Speed remains 3x Irihi no Mai, and power is upped to 3x Irihi no Mai. All four clones, naturally, become solid while attacking for that split second. If the opponent guesses the wrong clone to be the user, and has not put up a defense before this, this technique will almost guarantee some sort of heavy injury. The technique is so fast and powerful, all that can be seen is a pentagram star made of the light from sword slashes after all five (the user and the four clones) have slashed through the target.



[ STAGE: SIX. ]

- Stances: [None.]
- Regular Techniques: [None.]

- Special Techniques: [None.]



[ STAGE: SEVEN. ]

- Stances: [None.]
- Regular Techniques: [None.]

- Special Techniques: [None.]


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- Shoku Rekuiemu; Eclipse Requiem.

-- When learned, Shoku Rekuiemu replaces the last two stages of Tsuki and Taiyou no Kenbu. However, this style counts for a full list slot, so the character learning it MUST have at least one open list before learning.

-- This can only be taken by Jounin and is not available at character creation. The character must have learned Tsuki no Kenbu (Sword Dances of the Moon) and Taiyou no Kenbu (Sword Dances of the Sun) up to the full completion of stage five, including the special techniques.


- Style Description:
-- There are few blade dancers that can boast having the dedication and talent required to learn the Hidden Leaf’s famous combination style. While not truly employers of mystical, confusing movements in combat, and also not genuinely favoring swift, direct strikes, the rare Eclipse Dancers are both fast and extremely tricky… As if it wasn’t bad enough for an enemy to be faced with an opponent whose sword seemed to attack from sudden angles, the disciples of this sword style can execute their attacks at terrific speeds, all while playing circles around their opponents and lash-slicing like master chefs. Running steps are more similar to those of the Sun Dancers, powerful and straightforward, always directly towards the enemy, while the swordplay itself more resembles those of the Moon Dancers, confusing and beautiful to watch. It is the combination of these two coordinated elements that make the Eclipse Dancers so deadly.

-- Their special techniques combine the work of Tokoshi and Shado's basic styles and blend them into the advanced Shoku Rekuiemu (Eclipse Requiem), which takes the confusing and beautiful strikes of Tokoshi's Tsuki no Kenbu and combines it with the fast motions of Shado's Taiyou no Kenbu, essentially grasping the best of both worlds. They have neither the illusory genius of Moon Dancers nor the deadly singular attacks of pure Sun Dancers, but use fundamentals from both Moon and Sun to create an absolutely gorgeous looking trap with their bunshin clones that dazzles their opponent and set them up to be hit quite lethally.

-- Even with their admirable strengths, blade dancers are eternally irked by long-range fighters. Also, because they wield a sword in combat, their range of movement is less flexible than that of a purely hand-to-hand taijutsu user, and they are still weak to surprise attacks. Furthermore, the strain of maintaining such high speeds in battle eventually wears down on the body.

- Style Basis: Ninjutsu.

- Training Methods:
-- Eclipse Dancers like to train with a partner, preferably a taijutsu artist. This way, they can practice pitting their skill against another fast, melee opponent. They hardly ever train without their swords, and can even be seen doing something as simple as running laps with their sheathed sword in their arms. Even at this high level, the Eclipse Dancers concentrate on improving their speed and ability to deceive the enemy with their body movements.



[ STAGE: SIX. ]


- Stances: [None.]
- Regular Techniques: [None.]

- Special Techniques:
- Gesshoku no Mai; Dance of the Lunar Eclipse Technique.
- Description:
-- While the clones flow and circle around the user (making the real user nearly impossible to identify), the actual user of the technique, who can come from any direction out of the circle, moves so fast as they slash through the target into the other side that he is undetectable by the naked eye, seeming to outrun even the slash of his sword, just leaving a flash of light right after the attack. The damage has no strength modifier because there is no translucent clone that attacks with the user as he slashes through, sacrificing some of the striking power for illusory power.

- Nisshoku no Mai; Dance of the Solar Eclipse Technique.
- Description:
-- The introduction of an actual element, fire, into the Santsuki no Mai is finally realized with this technique. The user ignites his sword with a light flame as he circles around the opponent. The circle around the opponent (same as the Gesshoku no Mai) is now slightly aglow with the flame, as all the bunshins appear to have a slightly flaming sword as well, making the technique all the more beautiful. Then, like the Gesshoku no Mai, the user moves at unseen speeds across the circle, slashing through the target, leaving only a trail of flame behind them. While the base damage for the attack is still only the same as any technique from Tsuki no Kenbu because of the lack of a bunshin clone, the opponent also takes light fire damage from the wound as well, possibly to a vital spot.


[ STAGE: SEVEN. ]

- Stances: [None.]
- Regular Techniques: [None.]

- Special Techniques:
- Kaikishoku; Total Eclipse Technique.
- Description:
-- Considered by some to be the greatest legacy of Tokoshi and Shado, and certainly the greatest peak of the Eclipse Dancers. It is so beautiful and flows so well, it looks like a flaming 'x' inside a circle when seen from above. The sword, completely filled with chakra, is completely aflame, and the user is now able to attack with the addition of a clone who, also with a flaming sword, slashes with him (the clone is always slightly to the left of wherever the user comes out in the circle). The clone becomes corporeal for a millisecond as it slashes the target with the user. They move so fast, all that is seen is a flaming red 'x' streaming in between the circle. The circle itself appears to be a swirling fire and only adds to the confusion, giving the attacker an almost guaranteed hit. Contains the complete power of the Five-Point Star Dance plus incredible flame damage... Easily, if the right spot is struck, heavily injurious or fatal, because the target's innards may be struck ablaze from the strike.