As the official judge for this fight, it's my responsibility to explain my reasoning and the judgments given.
Warning: this post is extremely long and detailed; a summation of the summation will be available either below or in the next post.Here's a concise explanation of what's happened in the fight thus far:
Scenario: Zone 4, Fire Valley
Turn 1:
Zakamaru appears within the area. (Entrance post)
Bocchiere lulls about. (Entrance post.)
Turn 2:
Zakamaru thinks about leaving.
Bocchiere sends a tree-sized tendril of lava at Zakamaru. (Actions: 1)
Turn 3:
Zakamaru releases from his mouth a lake-sized level of water aimed at Bocc, intent both on clashing with the lava and washing Bocchiere himself away. He rides on the waves and sends a large, lasting electrical current through the entire lake, before creating a clone that stands on the waves with him. (Actions: 3)
Bocchiere sinks into the ground via mayfly and travels some 100 meters away from his starting point, arising on a cliff that overlooks the now watery-area. Bocchiere summons a Hiraishin-marked kunai to his hand and taunts Zakamaru. (Actions: 2)
Turn 4:
Zakamaru analyzes Bocchiere and taunts him back. (Actions: 0)
Bocchiere creates a tremendous chasm in the vicinity with this technique to drain the water; he then creates four wood clones and indicates their chakra levels with this:
Following this up would be another kata, this one for a Moku Bunshin jutsu. Four copies of Bocch would rise up from the ground at various points in the area, all within 100 meters of Zak, but surrounding him on all sides. Since Bocchiere had long ago applied Jiongu to himself and assimilated four hearts of four Kage level shinobi he had their collective chakra pool. Making four clones like this would divide his total pool into fifths, one for each Bocch, however it would essentially mean that each clone had the entire chakra pool of a powerful shinobi at their disposal. Not one of the clones had any less chakra than Zak, especially after upchucking a lake.
(Actions: 2)
Turn 5: Zakamaru and his clone run towards Bocchiere, transitioning into a Shunshin for even greater speed; lightning arcs between their hands and they attempt to tear him in half. (Actions: 2)
Bocchiere throws the kunai precisely at the forehead of the Zakamaru on the right and creates a fast-flowing river of mud beneath his opponents with this technique. (Actions: 2)
Turn 6: Zakamaru nimbly dodges the kunai and causes chakra-absorbing mist to fall with what is presumably this ability; his clone sends beams of an unnamed Ranton skill both at Bocchiere and the kunai.
(Original's actions: 1
Clone's actions: 1)
This is where the problems begin.
Bocchiere teleports to his farthest Mokuton clone which is branded with a Hiraishin seal; another Mokuton clone utilizes this jutsu to create a vast forest of trees around the area. The roots from these trees sprouted from beneath and around Zakamaru in an attempt to wrap around and bind him. Bocchiere did state here that he covered the entire zone, which will be touched on later.
(Original's actions: 1
Clone's actions: 1)
Turn 7:
Both Zakamarus create a thick stream of high-pressure water to cut the roots that sprout around them as they grow, and taunts Bocchiere after finishing the technique by his own admission.
(Original's actions: 1
Clone's actions: 1)
Bocchiere's clone sustained the technique and even the felled roots continued to grow in an attempt to ensnare and bind Zakamaru. These roots are stated to possess the same chakra-draining qualities that other wood techniques have been known to possess. Another of Bocchiere's clones uses this technique to create several flowers around Zakamaru that release pollen and attempt to drive him unconscious.
(Clone 1's actions: 1
Clone 2's actions: 1)
Turn 8:
Both Zakamarus pause to tie a piece of cloth around their face and then begin a large and unnamed Ranton technique to cut through the roots and trees and head for Bocchiere. (Actions each: 2)
Bocchiere argues that since Zakamaru paused to tie the cloth around his face, he was caught and bound by the roots around him.
Zakamaru's argument was that Bocchiere shouldn't have enough chakra to sustain this technique and that he should be exhausted by now.
My response will be available in full below, but my judgment was that Bocchiere could at least create this ability in the short term with the chakra at his disposal -- it's true that even he can't control an entire zone of trees for long, but for the moments such as this it was acceptable. Zakamaru's argument didn't argue against his being bound, and my final judgment was that Bocchiere's roots could indeed bind Zakamaru while he took the time to stop and tie his roots.
However, Bocchiere has previously requested in other fights that each poster is allowed one free repost; Zakamaru was extended this option and accepted it, voiding his above response for another.
Turn 8 (repost):
Zakamaru utilizes the apparent storm created by his Kirisame and the natural heat of the zone to manifest an ability known as Kirin while his clone creates a sphere of energy around them with an unnamed Ranton technique, allowing an opening for them to watch Bocchiere as his attack hits. Zakamaru claims that due to the speed and destructive power of the technique, there is no way for Bocchiere to dodge.
Bocchiere argues that, by his own admission, Zakamaru left an opening in the Ranton sphere -- an opening through which the pollen of his earlier flowers would traverse and render Zakamaru unconscious. These posts discuss it:
> (3h37m) <暁> 真 Bocchiere notes you switched blocking the pollen and not the roots to blocking the roots and not the pollen. "You made a sphere of Ranton that you specifically stated was never closed completely and did nothing to avoid breathing the pollen in."
> (3h31m) <|桜|> Anbu Captain Zakamaru notes when he dropped the Jutsu upon Bocch he was obviously holding his breath but forgot to add anymore detail into his post considering he had just woken up. You're done for, I'm going to post now.
For those that don't wish to read the entirety of the summation, the problems may be traced to turn six.
Zakamaru has expressed a concern that I'm not being a fair and impartial judge due to the fact that Bocchiere and I converse on Skype -- this is incorrect. As I have yet to be officially pardoned from my role by both parties, I'll give my preliminary judgment on this most recent matter:
Zakamaru neglected completely to mention holding his breath at all; this is indeed a fatal flaw on his behalf. The point of role-playing is to ensure that one doesn't leave out details such as this; failure to incorporate them is the same as saying they haven't happened. Zakamaru blatantly stated in his post that his sphere held an opening: Before fully closing the sphere he left an opening for him to see Bocch which by this point, a giant dragon had formed within the sky unknowing to Bocch since the sound of thunder had been going on for some time now.
His clone would then close the opening so that they would stay within the barrier untouched by the man's weak attempts.
If it also needs to be stated, there has been neither a hunt nor indication in advance of any gathering storm; it's true that the zones do inherently hold some measure of heat, this isn't the same as causing artificial heat with Fire Release techniques. That Kirin is even acceptable with no prior indication can be argued, but isn't a matter until the first issue of whether or not Zakamaru should be struck by the pollen is decided -- if he is, the argument ends there.
My preliminary judgment, if it still matters before the server, is that he
should be struck by the pollen for the reasons indicated above: that he specifically stated he left an opening in his sphere of energy and neglected to mention holding his breath.
As always, both Zakamaru and Bocchiere are allowed to either accept this ruling or calmly contest it with rational and logical thoughts. At the end of their response -- be it either affirmation or reasonable argument -- I will give my final judgment, which is how the fight will go.
Unless, of course, both participants should wish for me to retire or the community deems my judgment wholly inadequate.
