2329/Rock Lee vs. Domon Kasshu/The Battle at Mount Everest!

Rock Lee vs. Domon Kasshu/The Battle at Mount Everest!
Date of Scene:	27 May 2015
Location:	G Gundam Earth: Mount Everest
Synopsis:	Rock Lee and Domon Kasshu communicate with their fists on Mount Everest, and touch the very core of each other's souls!
Cast of Characters:	678, 748, 768

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Rock Lee (678) has posed:
The top of Mount Everest! A grueling, snow covered peak high above the clouds. Many of died trying to get there, and one does not simply climb Mount Everest without seeing the bodies of many failed explorers and expeditions.

But the first test of fighting on the top of Mount Everest, is -reaching- the top of Mount Everest. So Rock Lee has been running almost non-stop, occasionally taking a dip of water or a ration pill. He has no backpack or anything like that, for a ninja that would be for a -very- lengthy trip. His everyday ninja supplies are enough for this!

Once he reaches the top, he stands up there, rubbing his arms. It's pretty cold and his toes are exposed! He avoided snow by running on top of it. There wasn't much actual climbing thanks to ninja techniques. But how will -Domon Kasshu- deal with this trek?!

Domon Kasshu (748) has posed:
Domon Kasshu deals with the climb in much the same way as anything else: by throwing himself tirelessly and gracelessly at it in spite of practicality or physics. The hardest part for him is the first step--he arrogantly seeks to dominate the mountain by simply leaping to the first plausible foothold he sees. The mountain, largest of its kind, ages older than the foolish young man who would fancy himself its master, repays him for his arrogance.

Domon's worn brown work boot catches an old, weathered foothold, and without paying the natural wonder any mind, he attempts to leap from that spot to another. The sudden change in pressure causes the rock to crumble away from its face, sending the martial artist down in a pathetic heap. Debris and detritus from former expeditions pelts him, as if adding to the insult. Rather than reconsider his approach, Domon grits his teeth and growls at the mountain, throwing his distinctive red cloak off of his shoulder. It's become an obstacle now, something to be surpassed on his way to want he truly wants.

Size and scale don't matter to him--if it's in his way, Domon will handle it. Like pneumatic hammers, his legs send him leaping into the air again, and this time, when his boots smash to dust the would-be footholds, he's off again, clawing his way up in the truest sense of the word. He can't pace himself, and he can't make wise use of ledges to grasp. It's as much about beating the mountain as it is fighting Rock now, and his every advance is as much progress as it is an attack. One misplaced leap startles a particularly vindictive nest of birds, which sends him sprawling over to another handhold as he deflects them.

The higher he rises, the more Domon begins to become aware of something. It's /cold./ One look towards the ground sees the red cloak he so callously discarded. Should he go back and get it? ...no. Rock Lee is waiting. The Gundam fighter's ascent is now more vertical than ever, with seldom few places to safely jump as snow and sheer ledges become more and more common. Crunch. His fingers dig into the rockface, and he ignores the pain. This is nothing, compared to what Master Asia put him through. This is nothing, compared to the terror he faced all those years ago in the wilderness. The warm trickle of blood from his fingernails, the biting sting of cold at his nose, it's all just noise to him, just like the crunching of the rockface as he--now literally--claws his way up the side of this ancient and venerable mountain. Domon takes a rest--the summit is just a little ways off, the howling wind and the snow more vicious now than ever. His stitched up, hand-me-down windbreaker is trying its hardest to fight off the elements, but its best days are long gone.

Domon grabs a handful of snow. Food? Water? Maybe a little of both.

Just a little longer...

"ROCK LEE!" Domon's headband flaps triumphantly in the wind. The trip has had an effect on him--his hands bear stains of dried blood, his weathered clothes show signs of tussles with Mother Nature. But he's here. He's ready.

Rock Lee (678) has posed:
Lee is rubbing his arms when Domon arrives, taking deep breaths. "This mountain is -very- cold, and I can see that many of died trying to climb it. We are above the clouds, and even the air is thin. However, we have both succeeded at overcoming the challenge of the mountain itself, though I realize you did not have supplies."

He reaches into one of the flaps in his vest, then plucks something out, and tosses a small black sphere to Domon. "That is a ration pill. It will make sure that you are not suffering from some sort of nutrient deficiency from your trip, that way this will be a fair fight. You have had the snow, so I am sure that it will serve to keep you from dehydrating."

He's apparently an honorable fighter at least, and takes a deep bow, before sliding his left hand behind his back, and shifting his left foot back as well. He presents his right hand held up in a powerful gesture, presenting Domon Kasshu with his official challenge. "When you are ready, I am as well."

Cory (768) has posed:
    Compared to the other warriors, Chikorri's method of ascent might be considered cheating. No great leaps, no careful consideration of territory and no bloodied scrabbling for purchase. Sheathed within a thick white glow of excess Ki that also serves to keep her eyes safe from bits of ice and other airborne nasties she simply ROCKETS upwards a little after the others. It's a long ascent even for her though. Flying isn't as easy as it looks.

    especially past a certain height, where the air becomes incredibly thin and cold.

    She ends up slowing to a crawl at around three quarters up and collapses against the snow after wobbling. For a handful of minutes she does nothing but focus on breathing. "Air's so thin... an hardly breathe!"

    Not only that but the worst case of the shivers ever is setting in. "Stupid Shin, if he didn't chicken out I could be enjoying a good test of skill instead of just watching..." Mutter, mutter.

    With another cracka-whoosh she's off again, accelerating like a meteor in reverse to ascend the slopes.

    Soon she ends up about a hundred meters above the other two, just hovering in the air...

    With both hands on her knees, gasping for breath, body scrunched up for warmth. "Crazy place to fight... but w-with the air this t-thin... gr-great way to push yourself, I-I guessssss..."

Domon Kasshu (748) has posed:
Domon catches the sphere, observes it, and promptly swallows it. Without having anything but Lee's word to go on. Domon is as trusting as Lee is honorable, which says quite a bit for the both of them. "Thank you." He clenches his fists, as if suddenly emboldened by the influx of nourishment. Domon returns the bow, but hesitates as the wind howles around him. He narrows his eyes and shoots Cory a glance as she rises up past him, providing an expression that'd be unreadable even amidst clear weather. Is it suspicion? Aggression? Or is it just acknowledgment? Either way, he hasn't started yet.

"Before we begin... there's something I have to ask you." Something burning, which is never entirely extinguished. Something which must be put away before the fight begins, which will otherwise ruin it for the both of them by distracting one of them. A memory, a question. Domon reaches into his beaten-down windbreaker and offers up a torn photograph, flapping dangerously in the wind.

Its color has faded over the years, to the point where it's mostly in sepia tones with vague hints of color. There's a smiling man with dark, medium-length hair. He's looking at someone or something that's since been removed from the picture. Domon clutches it tightly, but is it hate or love that drives the intensity of his grasp? "Have you seen this man?"

Rock Lee (678) has posed:
Lee leans over, squinting. Then he shakes his head. "I have not, I apologize! Though I am an expert at finding hidden people, since I am a ninja. So I will offer my help if it is important that you find this man." he offers, before straightening up again, into his original stance.

Domon Kasshu (748) has posed:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f_pBrCyJPk

"It is." Domon places the photograph back into his jacket, and quietly broods for a moment. He takes a breath of thin, but crisp mountain air, steeling himself. "But not so important I can't put it aside... for now." The Gundam Fighter, for his part, lowers his posture and places his right arm forward, meeting Lee's stance at the wrist. His posture differs, as rather than place his left hand behind his back, he raises it in a defensive, warding posture. The connoisseur in Cory will note it is very similar to a stance assumed by practitioners of Shotokan Karate.

He doesn't so much /say/ he's ready. Not with words, anyway. But his entire body is tensed like a spring, waiting to rocket forward. The entire world up here is white and breathless and cold, and quiet. So quiet. The snow here is only disturbed by the whims of the wind, the peace seldom broken by anything living or dead.

The peace shatters as Domon's eyes betray his willingness to fight.

Rock Lee (678) has posed:
Rock Lee watches him intently, his posture tense as well. He's clearly waiting for a sign, experienced to know that one doesn't have to express their desire to fight with -words-. Preferably, the communication of body language is how such a fight -should- go...

When Domon's body tenses, and his eyes shift, Lee immediately bursts forward and jumps into the air, rapidly swinging an incredibly quick flurry of punches. Perhaps Domon's condition upon arriving at the top gave Lee an accurate reading of what his skill level could potentially be, but it's very clear that he's fighting as hard as possible. Each blow could potentially fracture a bone if landed on their intended target!

Domon Kasshu (748) has posed:
The Gundam fighter's body fights to change its forward momentum, and as such, Domon suffers a few of Rock's blows before he can get free of his opponent. His lean frame arches backwards, his jaw giving way to one of those lightning strikes. Does it infuriate him? Or does it fuel his excitement? That amazing speed, that mastery of the physical form! His eyes are ablaze, now, as his foot kicks into the powdery snow for purchase. There! Hard footing is found, and with it, escape. Push and pull, ebb and flow. Lee's attack pushes, so he pulls, already sporting a split lip but not dismayed in the slightest.

Domon pushes himself off of the ground in a backwards horizontal leap, but doesn't wait for Lee to come to him. That isn't his style. Domon plods through the snow as if he were fighting /it/ too, attacking with an open-palmed horizontal chop. It's a basic attack, but one with years of practice behind it... and if Rock is the sort to parry instead of dodging, he'll find there are years of /force/ behind it, too.

Rock Lee (678) has posed:
Lee immediately begins to dash forward, notably running on -top- of the snow. But perhaps not expecting this chop, he has no chance to dodge, especially with that speed coming at him! He raises both arms to block the chop, which pushes him down into the snow, and he can feel cracking before he, too, makes a backward leap with a series of backflips, back on top of the snow.

"You are incredibly physically adept. I fought another Gundam Fighter, and she was incredibly tough! But it seems that you all have different fighting styles. I cannot keep up at this rate..." He takes a deep breath, then dashes forward again. This time he begins to spin his entire body, before extending a shin kick with a ridiculous amount of momentum aimed at Domon's head. "I am Rock Lee, the Beautiful Green Beast of Konoha, trained by Might Guy in the art of Strong Fist!"

Domon Kasshu (748) has posed:
"I'm Domon Kasshu, the King of Hearts!" He jukes to avoid the kick, but earns it right in the jaw, spinning from the impact. He keeps underestimating the ninja's speed! The snow beneath them is stained red with the blood of a split lip, and a crest begins to glow on the back of Domon's wrist. He capitalizes on the momentum generated by the spectacular kick, returning fire with one of his own. "Trained by Master Asia in the School of the Undefeated of the East!"

Hanging suspended in the air for a moment, Domon brings his thick work boot down in a lateral midair roundhouse kick, attempting to hit Rock's center of mass.

Rock Lee (678) has posed:
Lee's immediate instinct is to reach down to try and -catch- the kick. But this is a terrible idea, as Domon's overall strength sends him flying across the snow and down into it, groaning. "I cannot keep up with this kind of strength and speed. I know that I am putting up a good fight, but it is not working..."

He slowly stands, then begins to breathe more and more carefully... until he just takes one simple breath.

That's when the snow explodes outward from him, clearing the area to reveal mostly rock for them to step on.

His skin has turned completely red, pupils vanished to turn his eyes entirely white, and his hair is pushed perpetually -up-. He's surrounded by what appears to be a green aura, though oddly the aura seems to constantly create tiny ice crystals that float away from him, suggesting that it's somehow liquid rather than energy?

"I have opened three gates. I realize that if I use any less than that, I will not be able to properly keep up with you!" he speaks in dual voices, like some sort of demon in its late teens. Then he just bursts forward, digging up pieces of ice with each step, and tries to thrust a single palm forward and into his gut in a blur of significantly enhanced speed and strength.

Domon Kasshu (748) has posed:
Domon hits the ground running, his legs a blur. He kicks up a wake of snow behind him, and the nearer he gets, the more obvious his expression becomes. Excitement. He's enjoying himself, wholly and honestly. This isn't the brooding man from before, the man burdened by whatever weight the picture in his coat carries. This man is rightfully as young as he appears to be, a bright and vibrant soul free of his shell and living in the moment. He brings up a hand to shield himself against the sudden upcurrent of snow, caught completely unaware by Rock's sudden burst of strength. Even Rock's attack doesn't take the wind from Domon's sails, though it certainly takes the air from his lungs.

"Huuugh!" Surprise flashes across Domon's eyes, his mind urging his body to just /move,/ just /move,/ damn it! He brings up a hasty defense, holding his forearm above his head in anticipation of an overhead attack. Realization that he might lose... realization, in his eyes, that he might be okay with that. The split second he's open, to a trained fighter like Rcok Lee, is an hour--but in that hour, Domon Kasshu thinks, he may have made a friend. The surprise on his face becomes a smile, gradually...

The crest on his right hand burns brightly.

Cory (768) has posed:
    With Rock lee Busting out gates and Domon cranking up something, Cory finally makes some NOISE up there in the sky. It's a loud gasp of astonishment, her eyes wide and for the moment, all thoughts of the cold vanished. "Oh... OOOOH.....!"

Rock Lee (678) has posed:
While Lee may look like some sort of demonic force of martial nature, his body language and general enthusiasm, plus the lack of lethal intent in his attacks, suggest that he, too, is enjoying this a great deal.

"KONOHA SENPU!!!" he shouts as he suddenly flips into the air, trying to slam a high kick where Domon has blocked. But that is the -point- of this technique. The next kick involves his body immediately shifting, and he then delivers a -low- kick, essentially rendering his first attack, an -actual- attack, some sort of crazy feint that doesn't actually hold back any strength.

Domon Kasshu (748) has posed:
That... wasn't so bad. What's the big idea? That was barely stronger than a normal kick. Why did Rock waste his opening? And why is he smiling? Domon decides to take advantage of a perceived opening. He hops for a moment, changing his stance to offer up a snap kick to the side with his left leg... and upon lifting the aforementioned leg from the ground, he is immediately aware of his mistake. "Nngh! A feint...!"

Rock's leg slams into Domon's, sending the Gundam fighter to the ground with a surprised grunt. His back impacts the mountain hard enough to make an ugly sound, but he's back on his feet with a formidable kip-up attack. "You're fast, Rock Lee! Show me how fast you really are!"

Domon takes a moment to tighten his headband, seemingly leaving himself open to attack. "THE WINDS OF THE KING!"

With three gates open, the ninja can appreciate the immense speed of Domon's punches--the end of one is the beginning of the next, and they strike everywhere and nowhere, some actually intended to be attacks and others just prestidigitation. "ZENSHIN! KEIRETSU!" The air at the mountain's summit practically boils with energy. "TEMPA KYOURAN!" Domon advances on the ninja, attempting to use Rock's speed to his advantage; each punch is intentionally avoidable, but only just so, lest it break the illusion. Then, the finale.

"LOOK! THE EAST IS BURNING RED!" Energy explodes around the pair, the thin air igniting in a shower of sparks and flame which heralds the /true/ attack.

Domon bends his legs at the knees and sends one brutally fast piston jab directly towards Rock's solar plexus.

Rock Lee (678) has posed:
"Huh?!" Lee asks as he looks east, and suddenly takes a punch to the cheek, blood spurting from his mouth. Then he returns to attacking, and he notices something he rarely -ever- experiences. Domon's speed... it's beginning to get -faster- than his own, with three gates open! "Four..." Another explosion of energy. "Five..." Another! "SIX!!!"

This time his strength and speed absolutely -explode-, and the snow around the mountain peak begins to swirl around in small whirlwinds. When that piston jab slams into Lee, Domon can feel bones crack, a few actually -break- as blood further flows from his mouth. But Lee continues to punch, he continues to exchange blows, feeling the bruises collect on his face and various other parts of his body, bones fracturing, muscles starting to tear, all to try and match Domon's incredible fighting spirit and speed.

"I will show you... the product of my youth, my hard work, my effort!" he declares, before Domon feels his punches pick up so much speed, he can likely -hear- the muscles in Lee's own arms begin to tear.

"MORNING PEACOCK!!!"

His fists are suddenly -on fire-. Not because of chakra, not because of any particular summoning of fire, but because he's punching -so fast- that his fists have literally ignited from the air friction enough to attack with flaming blows.

Domon Kasshu (748) has posed:
A second to a fighter is more like an hour. An hour affords one quite a bit of time to think.

Sometimes, Domon thinks that he became a fighter to have his vengeance on Kyoji. As a child, he thought he wanted to fight to be like Master Asia. Years passed, he earned the tutelage he sought, and he found something more valuable than hero worship. The chance to express himself in a way words never could--perhaps that's why he's been searching so hatefully for his brother, because Kyoji robbed him of one happiness just as he found another. Moments like this cast away the shroud of anger and hate, remind him of his time training with the Undefeated of the East. The thrill he felt, learning to control his body, the amazement at what was inside of him all along, waiting to be unleashed.

Rock Lee... is revealing something very personal. His art. When Domon speaks up, it isn't long, flowery, or, strangely enough, loud. "Thank you." Something is going on--something he doesn't understand. Ki begins to rush through his body, and he feels... lighter? No, it's not a physical sensation. He feels... what's the word? A part of him panics, because he'll never find the words to properly describe this state. But you know what? That's okay.

Domon doesn't realize that his hair, his clothes, the very energy around him suddenly changes. Golden light surrounds him, even as Rock's flaming fists pierce his defenses, singing his hair, burning his flesh, damaging his clothes, shattering his bones. This is what Rock Lee has worked his entire life for, but Domon can't insult him by refusing to share his own life's work. His eyes: admiration, respect. Reciprocation.

"I'll do the same," replies Domon calmly, suffering a punch to the ribs for his spoken words. At that moment, he shouts. But it's not a shout of rage. It's triumphant. Exultant. "THIS HAND OF MINE GLOWS WITH AN AWESOME POWER!"

Domon reels back his right hand, which now bears an otherworldly green corona. His pinky and ring finger bend downwards, his ring and index fingers held straight. What is this state of mind? Why isn't he angry? A little boy asks these questions, but the young man on the mountain leaves them unanswered. "ITS BURNING GRIP TELLS ME TO DEFEAT YOU!" Crack. That must have been one of his ribs... he'll feel that in the morning. Smash. His nose... hope that heals right.

"SHINING FINGER!"

It's... gentle. Domon's strike, if it can even be called that, meets one of Rock's punches head on. It's so soft that his hand should be cast aside like a child's toy, but in that softness there is unimaginable strength. The two attacks remain locked in a stalemate, Rock's strength ever whirling around Domon's intense spiritual pressure.

Atop this venerable old mountain, titans clash.

The explosion is enough to make Domon's ears bleed.

Rock Lee (678) has posed:
In that moment of of clashed fists, Rock Lee understands everything. His fist is being met with respect, with reciprocation. There is a mutual respect, a joy to be found in this communication of fists. At times, even through burning muscles, -literally- burning fists, broken bones, all of it, he can detect even a fraction of a second of distraction. The distraction that comes with Domon's heavy thoughts, a distraction that Domon never allows to linger long enough to be exploited as a weakness.

He can feel that this is a man who has trained as long, possibly longer than he has to perfect this art. The rarity, at least in Lee's world, of another being who has focused so hard on hand to hand combat, to meet him fist to fist with all that he has. These fists that have punched tailed-beasts through buildings, fought murderous ninjas in a drunken rage, saved his village numerous times...

These are fists equal to his, fists he would like to overcome, but in the few seconds that seem like an eternity, the explosion of force sends Rock Lee falling back to the hard ground, his skin returning to normal, green aura of sweat dying down. He just lays there, battered and hurting, but smiling in satisfaction. "That was... really good..."

Domon Kasshu (748) has posed:
Domon is on his back, a ways off. His chest heaves with labored breaths, made no easier by the thin mountain air. A metallic taste in his mouth tells him one of Rock's punches, or another, split something or tore something or broke something. Does it matter? Probably. But not for the moment. Hm, it was good? He licks his lips, flexes his fingers. Has it always been so cold up here? Not that he minds... it's kind of like AC now. "Yeah," he says. His toes are numb. His fingers, too... bloody, and dirty at that. Tired, so tired. When's the last time he ached like this? It must have been years ago. It's a bad ache, but it's a good ache.

Maybe this Multiverse stuff isn't all bad. There are a lot more places for... for /him/ to hide, now, but if there are people like Rock Lee out in it, that... must mean there are more people who can help him. Wasn't there something important, a few minutes ago? Something really, really important? He strains his mind trying to look for it, but only ends up making something hurt. "Uh..." It's an uncertain noise, but also a grunt of effort. "Did we bring someone to pick us up, or..."

Rock Lee (678) has posed:
"Oh yeah..." Lee suddenly realizes, almost completely unable to move himself, and he has the added fault of his toes being exposed. But at least the snow melted away?

He looks around, turning his head as best as he can, then spots Chikkori. "Hey! Miss Chikkori! Can you come help us?"

Cory (768) has posed:
    Surprisingly enough, Chikorri had to shield her face from the winds and barely saw the exchange. When it's over... and she sees the state the two are in, she descends and lands nearby, tail shivering more than the rest of her. "Y-you guys are nuts. N-now I'm all excited but--" *HWACHOO!* She sneezes into the snow and ice...

    After glancing between the two, she rubs the side of her head. "Somehow figured this might happen. Sheesh, hope I an -carry- two and stay airborne..."