I snarled as I dashed forward, hunched over so much my sleeves dragged on the ground. I could see the log ahead, every scratch, every dent, every imperfection even on the far side of it; I approached the wooden enemy fast, the dirt beneath me giving way from the force. With a throaty growl I dug my feet into the soft ground, sliding towards the enemy as I straightened my back to keep myself upright.
"Windmill strike!" I yelled, my voice muffled by the wrappings. As I neared the end of my slide I kicked off, the momentum pushing my forwards as I swan dived over the log, imagining it as a confused enemy. While in the air I spun and brought my shin down, hitting it near the top. The metal plates on my shins cutting into the wooden enemy as it broke beneath my blow. A normal opponent would be thrown to the ground in a wild spin, but the blow barely dented the thick log lodged deeply in the ground.
The ground rose up to met me as I continued to sail over the log. Reaching out I planted my palm on the ground and pushed off again, righting myself into a crouch. I smiled and tightened the strap on my shoe I noticed while in the air.
I needed more practice on real enemies as this tactic depended completely on them being struck by the first blow, after that, they would be thrown into a wild spin, their limbs crashing against the ground as they rag-dolled away, from there, it was as simple as pulling a cord. Slowly, I wound the thread back into the spool on my wrist, a single kunai protruded from the front of the log, seemingly appeared from air.
"Hiding a shadow kunai jutsu inside of a Taijutsu attack," I whispered to myself, smiling. If luck had it, I'd be a top ninja in no time, I felt.
After all trickery and deceit are my specialty.
I stood and turned to the log, again pretending it was my enemy though one that had recovered my first blow
"Time to die," I whispered as I draw a kunai from my belt. I held back a wince of pain as the metal plate bolted to my jaw rubbed painful under the wraps.
I lunged forward and threw the kunai, a almost invisible thread trailing behind it. The kunai missed the target by a hand and froze mid-air behind the target. I yanked hard on the thread, the knife doubling back on itself. As it flew back to me the blade cut into the log, leaving a thin but long slice along it's flank; it happened so fast even I had trouble seeing it.
Halfway back to me the kunai tip exploded, shrapnel and black smoke flying everywhere. From the smoke flew a blur, lodging deep into the thick wood. The smoke cleared quickly, revealing a makeshift shurrikan made of five kunai, their handles bound together to form the killing star.
"Yet another one I need to practise on a live opponent," I hissed. the strike was dead on accurate, and the cut would have given the kunai a taste of the opponent's blood, it would have given me the taste of the blood, to direct the final shurrikan into the-
Something exploded in the forest just off to my left followed by a cry of frustration, the noise freezing me in place. "Who in the bloody hell?" I said softly, turning towards the sound. I tried to see who it was out here with my charka vision, but my range did not extend far enough to see who it was; I could have known who they were, where they were, their weight, body type and current emotion if I could see them, and more importantly I could pinpoint them to within a millimetre.
"I thought that this area was secret," I said slowly, my words slightly slurred. I moved towards the noise, hardly making a sound myself as I moved through the foliage.
I sound found a clearing with the source of the noise, a young red-haired boy, a ninja I guessed by his clothes, his stance and the amount of destroyed branches and small trees around him. I smirked and stepped out from the tree-cover, away from the shadows, and right into his line of sight. The boy spun to face me, one hand above his head with the other hung straight out in front of him, palms open and aimed at me like weapons. I could feel his chakra; I could feel his surprise fade almost immediately after the first shock. A powerful young ninja; it seemed there were many at my level, shame; I'd hoped to stand out as in my village.
"Who are you, what do you want?" he asked quickly, getting straight to the point, his tone calm but wary.
"Cagi. You are?" I said shortly, trying to speak as little as I had to for it pained me.
"Tei," he said as he looked me up and down. "What the hell is a Sound Ninja doing out here in the forest of the HiddenLeafVillage?"
I looked him up and down rather than answering. There was a thin briar cut on the back of his left leg, a piece of thorn still stuck in it. For some reason, it irritated me.
"I thought that village was disbanded or destroyed after Orochimaru was found out," Tei said when I didn't answer.
'Well taught young man, isn't he' I thought as I studied him. After I was sure I had checked him out enough I answered. " They still do ninja training, though the ones they train are weak and pathetic, as well, I've been accepted here as a genin," I drew the passport from my inner pocket and showed him. I was sure he could see it.
"So why bear the symbol of that vile place?" he asked, motioning for my headband.
"I still have an attachment to the place, just one of those things I like to keep as a memento," Slowly, I drew a Leaf headband from my pocket, they'd given it to me the previous day.
"Well, I'd like to chat, but I need to get back to training," he said, lowering his hands slowly.
"Mind if I join you?" I asked, cocking my head slightly.
"I'd rather you not, mind your own business kind of thing," he said, grinning as he turned away.
"Asking was the polite way, but I'm afraid you have no choice," I replied, smiling under my wrappings; my blood pumped quicker and quicker, excited for a real fight.
"Listen to me..." he paused, having forgotten my name; I saw him raise an eyebrow though turned away from me, a sub-conscious thing surely.
"Cagi," I filled in the gap.
"Oh I think I do, I really do," I crouched, my arms extended upward and to the sides, a kunai in each one. I let one fly and dashed forward, feeling him dodge it easily, a smile crossing his face, I wasn't sure if it was of happiness to be in action, or knowing something I did not. As I neared him, I drew my empty hand back, the thread tightening, jerking the dodged kunai back around its point heading directly for the other ninja, while my other kunai was thrown from forward. I dove to the side, rolling away in case he decided to use the closer combat quarters to his advantage.
Spinning he blew the forward flying kunai away with some sort of wind manipulation jutsu; allowing the second to pass under his arm; so fluid and easy. With a mind crushing screech, the kunai exploded ten feet in front of him, a clone of myself flying from the smoke back toward the other ninja, a kunai raised and ready to strike, the other hand clutching the thread, which had wrapped itself around the others waist.
With a pull, he caught the thread on the leaf ninja's utility pouch, pulling him slightly off balance as he bore down on him. I grinned as I hid in the shadows, I didn't intend on killing the other ninja just knock him out.
That's when he made his move.