Welcome to Gaia! ::

Yes, that's right. This is the fire swamp, just like in The Princess Bride. It's swamp-like area but with one signature design. There are fire jets in the floor which occasionally spit fire. The jets make a little noise right before they burst, so keep your ears open or you'll be toast. This area is good for plant users but amazing for fire manipulators.

((Just saying, each training ground is enclosed within a large room and has walls and a ceiling unless otherwise stated. However, I don't think I made that clear so let's say this one is roof-less.))

About ten or so feet in front of Haruko, a fire jet puffed its warning and fire ruptured out of the ground and up into the air. When it ceased it's blaze, Death was revealed, standing directly behind where the fire just was. "Is it just me or is it hot in here?" Death didn't know what the temperature was, for all he knew it could be below freezing, he was just trying to be witty. Truthfully, the air was a strange combination of humid from the swampiness and hot from the fire-jets. Somehow, the trees and fire-jets seemed to be able to get along.

This took some thinking. After arranging all his thoughts, Death could finally explain. "This place was in many legends told by the story tellers of my country. I put it on the construction list, but I did not participate in the building. I wouldn't be surprised if Midori had some work in this. She can use fire and is a seal master so she could program these fire-jets." Death, too, had known fire jutsu, but not any more. About the time he became chuunin, he gave up fire studies to work on other techniques, which have since grown extremely stronger.

Sliding his right foot back into a fighter stance, Death replied, "You took the words right out of my mouth." Death brought his hands up in a guard in front of himself. His hands were open instead of in fists. "You go first."

The fake stomach punch was convincing. Death had lifted his front leg just as Haruko was about to strike and she changed plans. Death reacted quickly, swinging his elbow back to block the blow. It wouldn't stop the strike from hitting his back, but he would hit Haruko just as hard as she hit him. Death grinned.

After the first fake, Death had started to pick up on Haruko's fighting style. He expected another fake and didn't move until she actually seemed to be attacking him. Death brought both hands inward to catch her elbow. Since he had waited longer in case it was a fake, the elbow was still able to strike him. "Why yes, my abs are amazing. Thanks for noticing." Death chuckled to himself before holding Haruko's elbow tight with one hand and freeing the other. With the free hand, Death made a fist with the middle knuckle protruding. He brought it up and under Haruko's arm, aiming between the bicep and the tricep. There's a nerve there that when hit, especially with a knuckle punch, it hurts like crazy.

((If you want, try hitting that spot lightly, you'll see what I mean.))

Haruko's maneuver was executed perfectly, Death would have done the same thing. Death slid back, his grip seemed to just fall off of Haruko's arm. He stepped back to prevent from falling and commented on the counter. "Well played! But what's with the face and the not talking? I thought you wanted to fight me." Death grinned a little and crossed his arms. "How about this, I'll give you a second to shake that out and get the feeling back while I hide. Then we'll play tag, you have to catch me. Sound good?"

Spoting him, Haruko reached for several shirikens from her pouch and threw them in his direction, next she used a teleportation jutsu to teleport to the area behind Death. Holding her kusarigama in her hands, she waited to see where Death would move before throwing the end of her kusarigama with the weight at Death.