The Bansentennin ninja was overwhelmed. Too many opponents. His plan had been to deal with Aimi alone and it had been executed flawlessly. Yet he did not anticipate these newcomers. Focusing on Chiyo had been an error, one realized too late as he saw the golden blaze of Hitomi's sword... cut right through him. The energy of her technique flowed through him like a ghost, but sent blood splattering on the sand as he stumbled to one knee.<br/><br/>"You... you can't stop it." He said, lifting up his head to look weakly at the ninja from Tanigakure and Konoha, the mercenary and the puppet master, "It's too late. The Bansentennin have... already won. I haven't... lost."<br/><br/>He looked down, softly mumbling to himself,<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 7pt;">"Eighteen seconds...</span><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 6pt;">Twelve to thirty six sec-"</span><br/><br/>Blood gushed from his mouth and his blue and green eyes widened... just as a claw of sand burst from the earth and into his gut, lifting him off the ground. It wrapped its fingers around him like some great beast from beneath- ...and crushed. He writhed under Aimi's grasp, spasming until she squeezed the last of his life from him, killing Shirō Mengichii.<br/><br/>He hung there, in the claw's grasp as sand blew over the dunes. Chiyo relaxed, her puppet likewise standing up straight. Aimi was nowhere to be seen, save for her gruesome claw, now poured over in blood. So much for his confession- Hitomi had known Chiyo's medical ninjutsu was capable of bringing someone back to life if she could get to them within moments of their death... but the older woman had shown no desire to spare this man's life.<br/><br/>The raven, still way off, screamed in the distance.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide</div><div class="spoiler_body">Shiro uses Kawarimi. Ninjutsu 35 vs DC 38- fail! Crit confirm misses... but he takes full damage. Crit confirm misses. -9 hit points.<br/>Aimi attacks... natural 20! Crit confirm 26 miss. 18 damage. Shiro rolls one last die. 1d4+1.. 4. <strong>Shiro is dead.</strong><br/><br/>Round 9...<br/><br/>Tashi; Speed Rank 2, -6 Chakra, Init 20<br/>Karasu; +2 Natural Armor, -27 HP, -7 Chakra, Init 19<br/>Mari; Speed Rank 2, -17 Chakra, -6 Reserve, Init 13<br/>Chiyo; Speed Rank 3, -20 Chakra, Init 12<br/>Puppet; -5 Chakra, Init 12<br/>Hitomi; -3 Chakra, Init 10<br/>Aimi; -4 Con damage, -6 dexterity damage, -5 wisdom damage, -14 HP, -20 HP from Con damage, -29 Chakra, -11 Chakra Reserve, -10 Chakra from Con damage, Init 8</div></div>