A/N: An unimportant fight between two unimportant shinobi.
I wrote this to try and develop my action writing skills some. Hopefully it's not too bad.
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The proctor leapt back.
"You may begin."
Yurabe stared down his opponent, a chunin just like him. But unlike him, she was a rookie – this was her first time taking the Jonin exam. Azumi, they had called her. She wore a green kimono with long sleeves and carried several scrolls on a sash tied around her waist. He didn't know too much about this kunoichi – none of his teammates had fought her before. She looked strong though – any rookie that made it to the finals definitely was strong.
His thoughts were interrupted as her foot shifted.
She's getting ready to charge, he thought. Works for me…after all, I'm more suited to close-range combat anyways.
Yurabe's hand drifted to his shuriken container. He already had a plan.
"Well? What are you waiting for?" he called out confidently.
Clattering sounds filled the arena as she took the bait and charged at him. He quickly withdrew four shuriken and flung them in an arcing pattern towards her. The kunoichi merely sent a burst of chakra into her feet and somersaulted elegantly into the air, her foot coming down in an axe kick.
Yurabe braced himself and blocked upwards, the armored pads on his arms taking the brunt of the blow. His opponent flipped backwards and skidded along the ground, then charged again. She slid her foot forward in an effort to take out his legs, but he jumped out of the way. He prepared to counterattack, but Azumi was already coming for a second blow, her right fist coming toward his face. Yurabe moved his hand upwards and caught the punch, their skin slapping together and causing his fingers to sting. And again, Yurabe found himself surprised by the female chunin's speed as she launched another punch, this time with her left fist. He managed to deflect the blow with his left arm protector, causing his opponent to shift off balance. This let him use his grip on her fist to throw her forward, then come down with an elbow at her back. She sensed this movement and rolled to the side, allowing Yurabe to only strike a glancing blow on her side.
The veteran chunin stepped backwards and laughed as Azumi popped back up to a fighting stance.
"You're fast, but your taijutsu is crappy."
Azumi grinned and launched into a flying kick.
"We'll see whose taijutsu is crappy!"
Yurabe dodged and grabbed her leg with his right hand, preparing to throw her again. She shifted and tried a back kick with her other leg, but he caught her foot and used the momentum to throw her forward into the air. She flipped gracefully, landed, and came at him again with a punch aimed at his midsection. He deflected it to the left and counterattacked to the right, but she dodged. The two exchanged blows for a few moments until Yurabe succeeded in pushing Azumi back again.
He grinned confidently at her as she panted lightly.
"It's useless, you know. Your taijutsu is just too weak to defeat mine."
She growled and pounced again.
"Don't underestimate me! I'll never give up!"
Huh. Easy enough to say but…
He blocked her attack and threw her to the side, then planted a foot solidly in her midsection. Azumi grunted as the wind was knocked out of her. She threw a weak punch at his face. He laughed and moved to block.
"I told you, it's usel-"
Yurabe was interrupted when something hit heavy hit his mouth. Hard. He stumbled backwards and hit the ground, then sat up, blood dripping out of his mouth. His opponent stood there, a confident smile on her face. She was whirling a chain around her body.
"I told you, don't underestimate me."
He spat a tooth out.
So that's what's beneath those sleeves. I'll be ready for the other one.
Yurabe stood up shakily. Azumi took the opportunity to launch her chain at him. He blocked with his arm protector and prepared to draw the katana from his back. His opponent smiled and flicked her wrist, and the chain wrapped around his arm. Yurabe's eyes widened in surprise. Another flick of the wrist, and he was flying towards the wall.
Heh. Just what I wanted you to do.
He reoriented himself in mid-air and landed with his feet on the wall, chakra holding him to the smooth surface. He focused that same energy into his head.
This will finish you.
Azumi's chain shot towards him and he leapt off the wall. The chain gouged a hole in the wall behind him and reflected off, jerking towards him. In mid-air, Yurabe released the energy he had been accumulating.
"Ninja Art! Crescent Moon Dance!"
An army of clones dropped with him towards Azumi. She gasped and looked around confusedly at the clones, then raised her arms as if to ward them off. Yurabe smirked as he dropped down on her from above.
Even with one chain in reserve, you can't possibly block the right one.
He whistled through the air, his sword tip pointed at her head. She looked up, and he saw her grinning right before his sword shattered as it impacted into solid steel. Yurabe shied away and closed his eyes as shards of metal pinwheeled into the air. He hit the ground and rolled away, then stood up again to see the defense that had stopped him.
The chains wrapped around Azumi slowly began unraveling from their wound shield state around her body. Yurabe noted with a small note of satisfaction that she had used her second chain.
She surrounded herself with the chains to block my attack…well, at least I'm pretty sure I got her to reveal what she thinks is her trump card…
He looked down at his bloody sword hand and winced.
An absolute defense against weapons, huh? This is going to be tough…but, perhaps I can use her confidence in her defense to my advantage…if she covers herself with metal, then…
Yurabe leapt up into the air, reaching for his shuriken container.
I've got to do this before she finishes taking down that defense.
A flood of shuriken rained down, all spiraling towards various places on Azumi's body. She smirked and the chains covered her body again, causing the shuriken to bounce off harmlessly. Yurabe grinned and dropped to the ground.
I've got you now.
He formed a quick series of hand seals, then called his chakra towards his lungs. Azumi's head was already starting to become visible as it emerged from her chains.
Got to do this fast, while she's still in there.
Yurabe inhaled, and then blew outwards with all his might.
Fire Style! Fireball Jutsu!
Azumi's eyes flashed in surprise as a jet of flame engulfed her. The kunoichi's chain-bound figure disappeared into the blaze as fire wreathed the corner of the arena she was standing in. A muffled scream sounded and the smell of burning flesh wafted through the air.
Yurabe stopped the flow of chakra and turned to look at the proctor. He motioned at the inferno raging on one side of the arena.
"Proctor. It's over."
The proctor nodded and opened his mouth, then closed it at the sound of footsteps. Yurabe whirled around in surprise and stared, slack-jawed, at the flaming figure dashing towards him. Hair and kimono aflame, flesh scorched, nevertheless, Azumi charged, red hot chains trailing behind her.
"I told you I'd never give up!" she yelled. "You underestimated me!"
Even in that situation…she got free of her chains…?
"But…you…your clothes…even your hair's on fire!"
A painful smirk split her features.
"No matter…I'll douse this flame…with your blood!"
For the second time that day, the weighted end of a chain smashed into Yurabe's chin. This time, he flew upwards. Red clouded his vision as the kunoichi launched herself into the air and hit him with another chain strike. She didn't let up even as she left a trail of flame and scorched ozone behind her, the stench of seared skin filling the arena. Each second was an eternity of pain for Yurabe as Azumi continuously attacked him with the whirling chains, driving him further and further upward.
She can't keep this up… his pain-addled brain thought. Gravity has to come into play sometime…
And he was right. Azumi reached the apex of her leap and sent both chains flying upwards. The still warm metal wrapped around Yurabe's body and Azumi flicked her wrist, encircling the veteran chunin with the chains and pulling him towards her. Yurabe gasped as he recognized the attack.
It's just like the Lotus!
Azumi grabbed Yurabe's bound form as he fell towards the Earth, her weight dragging him down even faster. The ground was coming up to meet him very quickly…
"Eat this! Lotus Stormbind!" he heard her shout as the pair rocketed towards the ground.
One moment of crushing pain…and then darkness.