"Heh. I used to be a Seven Swordsmen candidate... You're pretty good, too."

"You seriously are at the top if you were going to join that group," he tells him, having heard of the group. "I wasn't this strong before. If we'd fought closer to the time I came here, you would've beaten me in one blow," he says. "I've got a lot of improving to do," he admits. "Thanks though," he adds. 

He looks at the guards. "How long do you think they'll just stand around for?" he asks.

"Dunno, haven't tried this yet," Suigetsu says.

After a minute, several of the guards will emerge, clearly angry and on the defensive.

He waits patiently, the room eerily quiet when the two aren't talking. He watches as several guards emerge, not liking the expressions on their faces as well as their body language.

"I don't like the looks on their faces," he says. "I feel like we'll be punished for doing this," he tells Suigetsu before shrugging. "It was nice to meet someone strong though. Most of the other face-offs I've had to do were against weaker people," he says.

"Eh, they can do their worse. Good to meet you too, though."

The guards demand that they both stand and separate. Suigetsu seems content to ignore them for now.

"Not much they can really threaten us with anyway."

He stays where he is as well, also ignoring the guards. He barely fears them anymore.

"Can't escalate too far without damaging us, either," Suigetsu says, laughing as the guard prods him.

"Oh, we can threaten you alright," the female guard says. "You've both already got double time listed. How does testing how you do without medical care afterwards sound?"

Shoma lets out an amused snort. "Pretty much a stalemate there," he says.

He looks up at the guard that speaks, simply raising an eyebrow before he shrugs, looking away again. "I think I can handle a little pain. I haven't grown soft ever since medical care started," he says.

"Suit yourself."

And seals along his shoulder flare to blinding life.

Shoma doesn't flinch. He knows he can fight back if he wants to but he knows he cannot show too much defiance otherwise the consequences could be severely worse.

He's dragged to his feet.

Shoma glares at the guards as he's dragged to his feet, instinctively trying to pull away. He manages to do so, rubbing his arm which had been grabbed tightly. He's tempted to give the guards a run for their money, the punishment almost seeming worth it now. 

That definitely seems what Suigetsu's inclined to do, going by his snarling.

Shoma hears the snarling. He looks at the guards, figuring that whatever punishment came, it would be worth knocking a few guards down. 

He turns his head slightly so he looks at Suigetsu. He gives the slightest of nods, indicating what he's about to do. He then kicks the nearest guard, raising his hand and created a blast that could easily unbalance the guards. 

"I think it's about time I stop letting you guards have such inflated heads," he says.

Suigetsu laughs and tackles one.

Shoma's seals are going to flare to where all his muscles scream and his bones jar in his skin and it's like being set on fire or having acid poured in his veins. (Suigetsu seems almost immune to whatever seal.)

Shoma had forgotten about the seals on his body. He can already feel the beginning effects. He knows he has limited time until his body is immoble. He lunges forward, aiming a punch at a guard, quickly beginning to absorb as much chakra as he could while dodging attacks.

He manages to knock one of the guards out, quickly dealing small yet sharp blasts of chakra in another guards face, pleased when it has the intended affect and renders the guard sightless.

Suigetsu takes another one down, but they're both subdued without any fatalities' on the guards' parts. Still, some of them will have trouble getting back up anytime soon, and Orochimaru isn't known for patience with the injured.

Shoma easily takes out another guard, simply choosing to knock him out again. The other guard will regain their sight after a while, Shoma is careful not to cause any severe injuries. 

He feels the seals beginning to become more painful, his movements slowing down as he tries to keep his attacks sharp and on point.

The female guard's faster than she'd been letting on - apparently they haven't fully relaxed standards here yet - and flows around his attacks, striking at him from behind.

Shoma grits his teeth as the guard avoids his attacks, letting out a choked gasp as he was struck from behind, stumbling forward but he quickly spun on his foot to face her, The seals on his skin were glowing brighter now and he had to bite back a cry of pain. He wasn't going to let the marks weaken him so quickly.

She's quickly out of his reach, ducking down to touch the floor - 

And lightning lances up around his feet.

He turns as quickly as he can, however finds himself too slow as the lightning appears. He tries to use a jutsu, however the marks reach their limit and there is a searing burn within his body, forcing him to crumple to the ground, his mouth open in a silent cry of agony.

It'll stop after a very, very long minute.

It's the most agonising minute he's felt, still not used to the searing agony that courses through his body. He tries to stand up but is unable to, merely ending up lying on the floor.

Once it is over, Shoma feels exahusted, his eyelids drooping even as he weakly tries to move, not wanting to give up.

Both his arms are grabbed as he's hauled to his feet.