If there was one thing Toshu was known for, it was being damn near indestructible. Between his natural toughness, his earth jutsu, and his metal jutsu, he had survived everything the world had thrown at him. Still, he was unsatisfied with it. His Destroyer of Fists jutsu was powerful, but it still wasn't enough. It slowed him down, and iron was hardly the strongest metal. He had spent a decade and a half working on it, trying to improve it. He was fairly sure he was ready now. He just needed an experiment. A side by side comparison, so he could see if his new technique was truly superior.

He sat by the lake again, skipping stones like he liked to do. Kariya should be there in a few minutes. The immortal was one of the best candidates for an all-out brawl like he would need here. He was strong, fast, and had one hell of a nasty weapon if Toshu did say so himself. Kariya could put the pressure on like few others, and his immortality let him keep going for a hell of a long time. Toshu was one of the most resilient of the Shirotori, able to outlast even some of the immortals in a contest of endurance. He needed someone to be able to keep up with him, push him to his breaking point.

Toshu made a few hand signs while he waited. Iron flowed out of his pores, spreading across the surface of his skin. In a matter of seconds, his entire body was a dull gray, coated in raw iron. He checked his watch. Kariya was due in about five minutes. And unlike the sluggish giant, the Jashinist was usually quite punctual.

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Once again Kariya was called upon to help perfect one of his partners techniques, and as always he was eager to see what the giant had in store for him this time. Odds were it was another defensive technique, something Toshu seemed to collect like they were stamps, not that Kariya could blame him. He was one of the few truly human members of the Shirotori after all, the only one other than Ms. Kaguya, who was less than half his age. The fact that Toshu was still physically the strongest of them at his age was no small feat. Considering he was competing with two ageless immortals and one true immortal, it was an achievement few if any could match. Nonetheless age can creep up on the best, even Kariya could feel the slow onset of age, but unlike himself Toshu didn't have the ability to simply ignore it.

Making his way down to the coast of the Forever Lake Kariya was greeted by the endless rain cloud that set upon it, a natural wonder all its own that Kariya believed could symbolize the persistence of life and time. Although he highly doubted the real reason the cloud never broke was quite so philosophical. Despite leaving his pocket watch behind with one of his few pairs of presentable clothing for fear of needing to find a replacement Kariya wagered he was running a couple of minutes early as he moved towards the giant of a man in the distance. It seemed Toshu had already prepared himself, the mans skin was a color akin to iron, a sign of his trademark "Destroyer of Fists" technique. "Good afternoon Mr. Kajiya. Eager for today's spar are we?" Kariya said in a professional tone, referring to Toshu's already activated Destroyer of Fists while setting his bag-o-murder on the ground before doing a few warm up stretches.

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Toshu stood, turning to face his sparring partner. He checked his watch, and Kariya was running a little early. “Punctual as always, Mr. Kariya.” He stretched out, the metal covering his skin creaking slightly with his movements. Kariya was in his usual sparring attire; something that he wouldn't miss if it was destroyed in the ensuing fight.

“Our purpose today is different.” the giant said, speaking as though he were teaching a class. “We are going to test a new jutsu. Perform an experiment, if you will.” His speech was very matter of fact. To hear it, you would never have guessed that he was a notorious criminal. “First, we have the Destroyer of Fists as a control group. Rough me up a bit, try to hurt me through the armor. After that, we can move on to the real focus of our session.”

Toshu stood with his arms folded, ready for Kariya to attack. He wasn't going to defend or go on offense today. This was just a test of his resilience. He would weather every hit that came his way, see how much he could take before he started to feel it. “I am ready to begin wherever you are, Mr. Kariya.” He kept the secret of his new jutsu under wraps for now. Maybe it was his love of opera, but Toshu had always had a flair for showmanship. If he spoiled the surprise, then it wouldn't have the same dramatic effect when he pulled out his new jutsu. He would wait, and build up the suspense.

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"Punctual as always, Mr. Kariya. Our purpose today is different." "Oh?" Kariya replied in a tone of curiosity, finishing his stretches with a slightly audible chain of "pops" running up his back. "We are going to test a new jutsu. Perform an experiment, if you will. First, we have the Destroyer of Fists as a control group. Rough me up a bit, try to hurt me through the armor. After that, we can move on the the real focus of our session." "Very well." Kariya said in a professional tone, crouching over his vintage medical bag in order to keep out as much rain as possible as he opened it. Pulling out his signature weapon, the kusarigama Gozu & Mezu, then sealing it once more. If Toshu wanted a true durability test then there was no better weapon at Kariya's disposal, and if Destroyer of Fists was only the control then a more advanced version of it was probably the actual focus, the question was just how much more advanced was it.

"I am ready to begin whenever you are, Mr. Kariya." Kariya nodded in acknowledgement as he returned to a standing position, holding the kama of Gozu & Mezu in his left hand while leaving the meteor hammer to dangle roughly six inches from the ground, the chain in his right hand. Slowly he began to swing the meteor hammer in a clockwise circular motion at his right side. Gradually building momentum until the chain was almost, but now quite, a blur. He knew that if it came down to it he'd be able to tear through Toshu's Destroyer of Fists with Gozu & Mezu, albeit with quite a bit of effort, but this was a test not a no holds-bar brawl with an enemy. It'd be best to start simple then work his way up to some more powerful attacks, focusing mostly on Toshu's gut or sides so he can avoid the possibility of breaking an arm or a leg underneath that metallic coating.

Without hesitation Kariya swung the meteor hammer, launching it forward and directly for his sparring partners lower abdomen, extending the chain as it soared through the air. Given the amount of strength he put into it, if Toshu was an average person without the protection of his metal release the six inch spiked meteor hammer would probably embed itself partially into his torso and send him reeling a bit, but Toshu was far from being considered an average person when it came to durability.

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Toshu watched patiently as Kariya took out Gozu and Mezu. The Jashinist began to twirl the meteor hammer, building up momentum for a strike. The smith didn't rush him. Kariya was an artist at what he did. He needed the proper time to do his work properly. Toshu stood with his arms out to the side, waiting for the strike to come.

The spiked ball shot out towards Toshu, slamming into his stomach. The spikes ripped through his shirt, but didn't even scratch the skin. With a deafening clang, the ball bounced off harmlessly. Toshu looked down to survey the damage, glad that he had dressed for damage today. These clothes were old, he wouldn't particularly miss them if they were ruined. And right now, ruination seemed inevitable. He brushed his hand across the tear, trying to minimize the look of the damage. “Not bad for a start, Mr. Kariya, but not much. Try again, if you please.” He was planning to see the upper limits of the Destroyer of Fists jutsu before moving on to his new technique. If that was going to happen, Kariya would have to hit much harder and much faster. “Perhaps a barrage?” the giant suggested. “I would like to see how this weathers a sustained assault.” His tone was almost casual, as if he were advising Kariya on what wallpaper to choose. The two of them had an odd dynamic that even few Shirotori could understand. Close friendships were rare among groups like theirs, but finding two kindred spirits were rarer still. Toshu imagined that the others were baffled by their cultured conversations, but he wouldn't change it for the world.

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As expected his attack did little more than scratch Toshu's iron plated skin and tear a few small holes into his shirt. Testing the limits of Destroyer of Fists would be a gradual process, if he used too much strength up front he could risk severely injuring his friend, not to mention completely blowing past the threshold for durability was hardly the best way to find it. Almost habitually Kariya retracted the meteor hammer and restarted its clockwise rotation as Toshu checked the damage. "Not bad for a start, Mr. Kariya, but not much. Try again, if you please. Perhaps a barrage? I would like to see how this weathers a sustained assault." "Every experiment must have a baseline my friend." Kariya replied in a polite tone, picking up the speed of his cyclical swing, then moving it over his head parallel to the ground while extending the chain a little.

He used this wider rotational swing to pick up even more momentum, so much so that he actually needed to use the Act of Tree Climbing technique to keep himself planted to the ground, and as a result a light rotational breeze began to emanate from Kariya's position. "Regretfully this weapon of mine is hardly the best choice for a sustained barrage, however, I believe I can adapt it to the situation." He said in a professional tone, his voice hardly strained by the physical stress maintaining a revolution like his current one would put on a normal man, then again Kariya was far from a normal man. "I guess this will be an experiment for the both of us." Kariya finished with a faint laugh and a slight grin, bringing the meteor hammer around for another attack aimed at Toshu's abdomen, this one having a little more force behind it.

But he didn't stop there, as soon as the meteor hammer made contact Kariya would retract the chain and continue the swing, spinning in place with his entire body until he made two thirds of a revolution then extending the chain for another attack. He could keep this up for a maximum of ten attacks adding a little more force with each swing until either he cracked through the armor, Toshu called him off, or he failed after ten attacks. With the force behind these attacks Toshu might find himself being pushed backwards. If that were the case Kariya would simply move with him, so to speak, stepping forward and adjusting the chain length as necessary to provide the best follow through.

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“Sad but true.” Toshu's voice rumbled. It was one of the disadvantages of a flail weapon, they relied so much on momentum. It wasn't really possible to do quick rapid fire combos with something like that. They could try other weapons, but Gozu and Mezu were his best. Nothing else he had would even scratch the Destroyer of Fists. He would have to just let Kariya build up to speed. “Let's test that speed of yours, Mr. Kariya.” He had a feeling that Kariya was selling himself short. Toshu had seen the immortal's speed before, he knew that Kariya had him far outmatched on speed.

Toshu planted his feet, weathering the assault. One hit after another just bounced off of his armor, tearing more holes in his shirt. None of them even scratched the armor. He was pushed back a few feet, his feet digging trenches in the ground. Ten hits came and went, and he just brushed himself off. Still not enough to warrant escalation. “Perhaps a step up, Mr. Kariya? The gradual approach doesn't seem to be working, maybe we should switch to single more powerful strikes.” Their initial experiment was not really working out, it was time for a change of pace. Luckily, Kariya had a lot of variety in his techniques. The Jashinist was one of their most skilled weapons users, the Shirotori would never hire a one trick pony. As far as Toshu was concerned, they were still warming up.

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Time after time his assault failed to crack The Smith's iron-plated hide until all ten attacks fell to his defenses, not even a scratch left in their wake. Toshu's defenses were formidable indeed, it was no wonder how he came across the title of "The Immovable Object", but "The Unstoppable Force" had more then just immorality contributing to his title. Kariya retracted the meteor hammer and stretched a little, shaking off the cobwebs as it were while letting the hammer dangle, it had been quite some time since he was last called upon to test the fortitude of a "wall" of such caliber. "Perhaps a step up, Mr. Kariya? The gradual approach doesn't seem to be working, maybe we should switch to single more powerful strikes."

"I agree, Mr. Kajiya. It would be an area my weapon is better suited for." Gozu & Mezu could serve many purposes depending on the hand that wields them, and in Kariya's its most effective use was a couple of powerful focused attacks. One of which was akin to a battering ram designed for breaking barriers and fortifications, while the other was designed specifically for armor penetration. In this case the armor penetration technique may end up dealing a little too much damage to his partner, and it's execution didn't necessarily allow for a sudden stop should things go wrong. So his battering ram may provide a safer, if only slightly, alternative. Nonetheless he would limit it's full power for now, he needed an entirely different baseline with these techniques.

There was no build of momentum through swinging the meteor hammer in a cycle this time, only a brief pause as Kariya swung it into the air above and in front of him to serve as a warning. As the six inch ball reached it's apex then began falling back to earth it would be greeted by the underside of Kariya's foot, sending it rocketing forward and towards the giants gut with no small amount of accuracy. Missing with this technique in a real combat situation meant going for a little ride, so "almost pinpoint" accuracy was a must for it to hit a specific target. Not to mention one of the smiths own creations, the flesh weapon seal embedded into the side of the Kama's blade, aided greatly in this aspect. Practically turning that "almost pinpoint" accuracy into it's derived comparison. This wasn't to say that the power behind the attack was any less important, but it was the combination of the two that gave it its lethal efficiency.

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The next attack, Toshu could feel. The hit lifted him off his feet, sending him flying back. He tumbled across the surface of the lake, charging a hand with chakra and digging it into the water's surface to get some traction. He skidded to a stop on the water, defying physics like ninjas like to do. Once he had stopped, Toshu struggled to his feet and looked over his injuries. There was a sizable dent in the iron on his stomach, and the metal had even torn in a few places. The Immovable Object had not only been moved, he was bleeding. It was a rare sight indeed.

At this point, the armor was more a hindrance than a help. The dent was putting some uncomfortable pressure on his injuries, and not really giving him anything in return for it. He made a hand sign, and the iron all over his body cracked and started to fall away. He walked back towards shore while his metal skin splashed into the water around him.

Toshu stepped onto shore again, brushing the last of the iron off his skin. “Very good, Mr. Kariya. I think we've set a good baseline.” He made a few hand seals, and performed his new jutsu. It was different from the Destroyer of Fists. The metal didn't flow out to cover him. Instead, his skin started to change color. It became brighter, taking on a metallic sheen before turning entirely to steel. His injuries were hidden as the steel skin closed over them, leaving him shining and unmarked.

The giant took a stance, beckoning to Kariya. “Now that we have the control group done, I believe it's time for the test group. When you're ready, Mr. Kariya.” He braced himself for the next onslaught. This jutsu felt different, better than its predecessor. He didn't feel restrained. This would let him use all of his speed, meager though it was. It didn't hold him back. In fact, he felt better than ever. It was a rush, trying out this new power for the first time. He couldn't wait to see how much it could take.

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Kariya couldn't help but wonder if he put a little too much oomph into that last attack as he sent the smith skipping across the surface of the lake like a stone, even after he toned down the power a little. His "Bull Rush" technique was certainly a force to be reckoned with, and yet it paled in comparison to an idea that had been floating around in his head as of late. Maybe he would finally get a chance to test it, after all there weren't many barriers or walls around that would  be sturdy enough to have to use the technique, at least without bringing down a portion of their own tower. An action that probably wouldn't sit too well with most of the others, or himself for that matter. Wrecking an ally's home was just plain rude. Kariya patiently waited for Toshu to return to shore, he could see a few lacerations where his attack had broken through the smiths iron coating as he made his way back, shedding his coating in the process. "Very good, Mr. Kariya. I think we've set a good baseline."

"You're too kind, Mr. Kajiya." He replied in a professional tone. Partially mocking how civil the conversation was between two wanted killers, especially after one just sent the other skimming across a lake, and partially gracious response to the acknowledgment of the effectiveness of his last attack. Kariya was quite eager to test Toshu's new technique himself, if his Destroyer of Fists could weather such an attack he could only imagine how durable this one would be, at least until he had tested it thoroughly. It was activated a little differently than Destroyer of Fists, no metallic coating seeping out from the pores this time, instead the skin itself appeared to change until he was looking at a man that seemed to be forged of steel. Only the smiths eyes and movements gave away the fact that he was a person and not a statue, and it seemed the wounds previously inflicted had been sealed shut. "Now that we have the control group done, I believe it's time for the test group. When you're ready, Mr. Kariya."

Kariya nodded in acknowledgment, debating on what the best way to start the final test would be. A second full powered "Bull Rush" would probably serve as a good benchmark, but it felt somewhat redundant to use that technique twice in a row, nonetheless it was still the best choice for the time being. So Kariya tossed the meteor hammer above and in front of him once more, waiting for it to reach its apex and fall back to earth before greeting it with the underside of his foot again, however this time he didn't hold back. The meteor hammer rocketed forward in a partial blur, aimed once more for the giant's chest. With the full powered technique it was practically a cannon ball, capable of tearing through an unprotected person and continuing on unhindered, and capable of cracking some of the best defenses. He was very curious as to how Toshu's new technique would hold against it.

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Toshu always appreciated their little polite exchanges. To an outsider it must have looked anywhere from absurd to downright insane, but it was something the two of them had grown accustomed to. They may have been wanted mass murderers, but that was no reason to be rude. In fact, it was all the more reason to be polite. People held certain unfortunate assumptions about serial killers, it was best to distance oneself from those.

The meteor hammer shot upwards, and Toshu raised an eyebrow. Kariya was being more repetitive than usual today. It was unsettling. The man was an artist in his own right, it was part of the common ground the two had found. Well that, and their absurd dedication to etiquette. But this was less artful than usual. Toshu hoped this was going somewhere more promising, because as it was he was concerned. It was a relief when he saw the second part of the attack. It was a hell of a lot stronger than the first one. This might actually provide a real test for his Ultimate Shield.

Once again, Toshu found himself sent flying. He rolled across the water once more, this time landing more gracefully. The giant rolled to his feet, brushing himself off. He brushed his stomach off. “I'll grant you, that hurt. A strong punch I'd say.” His stomach was dented, but the surface wasn't broken. Toshu could tell that was going to leave one hell of a bruise later, but it hadn't been nearly as bad as it could have been. Already, the dent was starting to push itself back out. The dent fixed itself, keeping the pressure from causing further damage and making it look as though he were uninjured. That was part of the purpose of this technique, to convince enemies that he was invincible. He had always relied on psychological warfare, this was just the natural next step. The Smith stepped onto dry land again, rolling his shoulders. “It may need a little fine-tuning, but I believe we're on the right track.”

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Once again Kariya watched as Toshu was sent skipping across the water, although this time he seemed to have caught himself better than his previous trip, despite the rather potent increase in power of the attack. "I'll grant you, that hurt. A strong punch I'd say." On top of that the only sign he had taken any damage was a simple dent, which disappeared fairly quickly as he returned to shore. This new armor was certainly a force to be reckoned with, some villages didn't even have walls strong enough to withstand a blow like that. "It may need a little fine-tuning, but I believe we're on the right track." "I'd have to agree, your Destroyer of Fists pales in comparison." Kariya commented in an impressed tone, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

With all the power behind his "Bull Rush" technique it was only natural that there would be a few drawbacks, primarily dealing with the fact that he was kicking a seventy pound spiked ball. His foot was fractured in several places, and there were a couple hunks missing from the soles of his shoes, although it's not like this really hampered a man of his particular abilities. The fractures quickly mended themselves, restoring his body to full operative capabilities, and even if they didn't he would be able to operate without much if any hindrance. "Shall we test it's piercing resistance next?" Kariya inquired with a professional tone, one test could hardly be called an experiment, at least by any true professional.

After waiting for Toshu's acknowledgement Kariya would begin to stretch his left shoulder, rolling his arm around a few times before vanishing in a blur of raw speed. He would then reappear directly in front of Toshu, carrying the momentum of his speed into his attack and swinging the kama to meet the giant's gut with the very tip of the blade, enough power packed behind the strike that if he directly targeted the ground it would leave behind a sixty foot wide shallow crater. Obviously if this technique managed to pierce the smith's steely hide Kariya would be in a position to stop the blade from going too far, but given it's defense against a full powered "Bull Rush" he expected it to do little more than dent and possibly scratch.

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“You're too kind, Mr. Kariya.” Toshu said with a smile. The technique probably still needed a little tweaking, but it was nice to have some positive feedback. He knew that the immortal meant it, too. The duo were nothing but honest with each other. Toshu depended on the Unstoppable Force for constructive criticism, and he liked to think the reverse was true as well. "You may proceed."

The tip of the kama made contact with Toshu's stomach, and he winced. The previous attack had hit a lot harder than the armor had made it seem, and this one was quite effective. The blade bit a few inches into the giant's stomach. Not enough for severe damage, but enough to cause some pain. Kariya pulled out the kama and reeled it back in. Within seconds, the steel had closed over the wound, hiding it from sight and staunching the bleeding. There was a sound of metal scraping on metal as he wiped the blood off.

The smith approached Kariya, dispelling the armor. His shirt was in tatters, and there was a massive bruise forming on his stomach not too far from the cut, but he could handle it. Toshu was about as tough as a person could get without being immortal, he could just get patched up and be ready for action again. The giant bowed to his sparring partner. “Thank you, Mr. Kariya. I believe it's ready for the field.”

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