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A ball of fire hit and burst in center of the path Chaos was heading in. Its intent was to stop Chaos in his tracks and create a distraction for the oncoming attack Ashura had put into motion. He was also attempting to get their newly revived attacker's attention. They had some history, but in truth when it came to Chaos it is assumed there was history.

Sitting casually atop the opening of the lab that the explosion had made was a tall, somewhat muscular figure. Not many details could be discerned for the front of his body for it was coated in the shadows, but the sun to his back relieved enough. He wore a bright, untainted white Hakama and Haori that reflected the sun's rays and made him almost glow. A matching white sword handle poked out from his left hip and he swung a single leg, the sword rattling in its sheath and a chain jingling at his side. Blood-red locks seemed to consume his head, the back of his hair put up but still looking wild. More hair laid forward and covered most of the fox Anbu mask that laid comfortably on his face.

This man sat with his index and middle fingers sideways to the lips of his mask, an infant flame strung from his hand. As a breeze came through it blew his crimson belt, the Hakama, and his open Haori, the tattoos on his chest and neck evident. His hair rustled in the wind and as it did he removed his mask, tossing it over his shoulder, knowing it was no good to try and hold onto it. It was Soul Ketushai, glasses still sitting on his nose. He seemed a bit more matured, but time does that to a man. Red scruff on his face illustrated how he had aged. He smirked slightly, a nervous yet exited feeling coursing through his body.

"And so he rises... I had a feeling this would happen..." He spoke calmly, as though there was nothing to be worried about. Soul looked up at the sky, clouds moving overhead and blocking out the sun for a bit. "Yet i did nothing to stop it. I suppose i'll have to fix that, won't i, Chaos?"

Ashura was not prepared for the fireball that engulfed Chaos and he skidded to a stop across the room from Kashin. He heard his wires make contact, but he had lost track of Chaos. Gritting his teeth he looked up briefly at the source of the fireball to see Soul. Immediately Ashura was relieved somewhat. He trusted Soul's ability more than most ninja he had encountered though he had to admit some bias towards his own clan, especially since he owed his life multiple times to the abilities he inherited. The scars along Ashura's back seemed to itch at the memory of the last time he was forced to use the bloodline limit, which nearly left him paralyzed in his haste.

Turning his attention back to Chaos as the smoke cleared, Ashura was wary and with good reason. The slight look of relief that had come over his face quickly disappeared with the mangled remains of the wrapped up scientist and the sound of Chaos' voice. Ashura knew better than to waste time now and barely listening to Chaos already started to move. From the start of the fight he had been anxious about being enclosed in the laboratory and Soul's presence above the lab was the last bit of motivation he needed to get the hell out of it. Ashura crouched slightly and concentrated his chakra before leaping towards the rim of the hole in the ceiling leaving a swirl of dust around where he had been. In midair the vines started to convulse and grow around Ashura. He realized what was happening, but couldn't do much about it at this point to help Kashin and the others. Attempting to buy some time, Ashura drove both kunai he was holding into the edge pulling himself into a front flip and twisting in a 180 so he was facing the opening across from Soul locking his hands together. Kai! As Ashura's feet hit the top of the lab he slid backwards slightly, catching himself with the chakra concentrated in his feet and drew his arm guard blades up in front of him defensively. At the same time the kunai he had drove into the edge and buried in the rubble detonated. Due to the extensive damage the small concussions were all that was needed to collapse the roof further. One side of the roof collapsed inwards creating a much larger hole and slowing the vines' advance along that side of the lab as they were crushed under the rubble, but the majority of the other concussions were contained under the rubble having little effect. The damage was limited by the vines which had already started to tear back up through the rubble and replace the walls themselves as the forest grew, but Ashura hoped he had bought enough time for everyone else in the squad. Turning his attention back to Soul and searching for Chaos, Ashura looked up just in time to see the black naginata swinging towards his neck. With no time the only warning Ashura could give was the look of alarm on his face.

As Soul started to make his handsigns the vines around him began to quiver a bit. From the vines multiple arms emerged, each one wrapped it black belts and a layer of thick cloth surrounding them. They emerged as fists, almost like they were going to punch at Soul, yet they stopped quite short of him. Suddenly the hands opened and explosive tags began to flow out from underneath the sleeves. They would begin to spiral around Soul and they would explode as soon as Soul even made an attempt to escape.

Below where Kashin and Ashura was, vines began to move and shift rapidly. The small forest below was starting to bring the entire room down. Rocks had began to fall and sparks began to emerge from damaged machines. "200 Proof style, water style; swamp of fire..." With those words water began to leak up from the ground, yet the smell of alcohol quickly began to fill the air. It wouldn't be long before the alcohol caught fire.

Elsewhere in the lab the real Chaos emerged in a deep underground room that the Gaioh ninja had yet to explore. In this room Chaos stood staring at the large vats that were filled with copies and clones of himself. He gazed at them and shook his head. "These are the failures... Nothing but empty shells that have no soul." Chaos raised his hand up and in one motion went from an open palm to a closed fist; in doing so the vats began to shatter. The clones began to emerge and walk. They were sluggish and shambled to Chaos's location. He gazed upon them and smiled. "Children of my mistakes... I have freed you from your prison and those here will free you from your torment. I can only hope they free me from my torment as well."

Ashura caught the earpiece as he crouched at the edge of the lab roof. "Will do!"

After putting on the earpiece he brought his hands in front of his face in a hare handsign. Taibunen (greater sense) As he released the jutsu his dull gray eyes lit up with chakra, first a brightening of the iris to a swirling blue-green and then gradually his pupils enlarged with a shining point of white in the center. Ashura squinted briefly as Soul's jutsu shined and his whole cornea glinted as if it had a mirror sheen before he opened them normally as his eyes adjusted and his enhanced vision cleared.

Ashura's body seemed to quiver slightly like a dog or cat on edge and he placed his fingertips lightly on the floor in front of him as he surveyed the area below. His enhanced sense of smell quickly picked up the alcohol fumes of the swamp growing below and decided involving himself when he was already out of harms way would only make it more difficult for the others to escape or maneuver. Instead he concentrated on feeling out the laboratory through his fingertips, but the constant growth of the vines made it difficult to determine much detail beyond the structure's size. The laboratory seemed to have many levels beyond what their forces had penetrated. Ashura's brow creased annoyed with the situation. He didn't mind enclosed spaces, but he was at a distinct disadvantage underground against Chaos who's vines likely stretched the whole structure.

Ashura's eyes widened in slight surprise as Masamune substituted for Soul and dispelled Chaos' attack, but confident Soul, Kashin, and Masamune were in control he scanned the roof for a more manageable entrance his eyes tracking much faster than any normal eye could. Across the gap and down the edge of the roof slightly was the adjoining room's roof where the deeper vibration echos seemed to be reverberating through. The chamber he was above now had been the lowest point they had reached so far so assuming that there was no secret entrances he could bypass the main lab and continue down. His body sprung from all fours sideways into a sprint using one hand for the first step to balance as he took off around the gap keeping the room below in his view in case he could help and hesitating slightly before turning to continue ahead.

((-_-))