Hello everyone! How are you? It's been a while hasn't it? Sorry about that... Anyways, here's the next chapter. Enjoy! ~KB
Ch 18: The Test
Manami followed Lady Tsunade on their way to the test site. She had a good night's rest, courtesy of Anko (and Kenta) and felt ready for whatever was about to happen.
Tsunade escorted Manami from her office and through the village. Outside, Manami noticed children playing outside what appeared to be a school. She smiled softly at their antics, giggling when she saw them pretending to be older ninja. A flash of spikey hair caught her eye, but before she could get a good look, Tsunade ushered her forward to continue.
The two women came to a large arena, where they entered through a set of double doors. They walked through a labyrinth of hallways, stopping in front of an open iron gateway. Manami peaked into the heart of the arena and guessed the surrounding stands were large enough to seat hundreds of spectators.
"Alright," began Tsunade, standing in the middle of the entrance, "you may choose whatever weapon you would like to use and as many you want." She gestured to a table containing weapons of every sort: katanas, spears, tessen fans, kunais, etc. Manami was in awe at the vast array on display for her to pick from.
"You will be put through three different tests to evaluate your skills," Tsunade continued, "your results will help us determine where you will work for the time you are with us."
"I understand, Tsunade-sama," Manami replied, already analyzing the different weaponry. "If I may, what are the three tests?"
"I'm afraid I can't tell you that," Tsunade answered curtly, crossing her arms.
Manami picked up a tanto blade, weighing it in her hands. "I figured. Thank you anyways."
Tsunade bowed her head, "Once you have decided what to use, step into the arena and we will begin. Try not to take too long."
"Of course." Manami set the blade down and bowed to Tsunade as she left. Looking back at the table, Manami was overcome with a great sense of indecisiveness and a hint of sorrow. Normally I'd use my Keyblade, she thought, but that's not an option. What would be a good replacement? So far Manami had only spotted a couple of katana that fit her liking. The length was close to that of her Keyblade, but it was a fair bit lighter in weight than what she was used to.
After a few more minutes of evaluating her choices, Manami finally decided on one of the katana as her primary weapon. As a back-up, Manami gathered a small arsenal of kunai, senbon, and shuriken. Only a small leg strap and waist pouch were provided for her to use, so Manami tucked what she could in there and hid the rest throughout her clothes.
Finished with her preparations, Manami took a deep breath and walked into the stadium.
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Tsunade watched Manami walk into the Chunin Exam Stadium. Her stride was confident, but not prideful. We'll see how long that lasts, she thought noting the katana and weapon pouches.
"Alright you three," she began, turning to the ninjas beside her, "any bets on when the new girl folds?"
Two of the three ninjas sighed and shook their head while the third exclaimed, "No worries Lady Tsunade! Our youthful match shall not last long so that you may return to your paperwork as soon as possible!"
Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance, "Let's just get this over with."
With a flick of her finger, Tsunade sent the third ninja down into the arena. She watched as Manami took a step back when the ninja appeared in front of her. Pulling a small bottle from her sleeve, Tsunade took a swig of sake thinking, This ought to be interesting.
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Manami kept a hand on the hilt of the katana; her opponent had appeared out of nowhere, literally, and was standing with an arm out giving her a thumbs up.
"WELCOME Youthful Newcomer!" the ninja donned in a green jumpsuit shouted excitedly. "I am your first opponent in this test, Might Guy!"
"Uhh, hello?" Manami replied warily. She remembered the way Ibiki had introduced himself, "My name is Kiyomizu Manami."
"WELCOME Manami-chan!" Guy continued, reaffirming his thumbs-up pose, "It is wonderful to have you in our village! I look forward to this challenge with you!"
Manami gripped the hilt of the katana harder, "What's the challenge?"
Guy flashed her a wide grin and Manami swore the sun glinted off his teeth.
"We are to fight in a match using taijutsu." he replied.
Manami raised an eyebrow, "Taijutsu?"
"YES!" Guy exclaimed placing his fists on his hips, "A physical test of strength and stamina!"
Manami nodded in acknowledgement. "Alright then," she said crouching into her defensive stance, "Let's do this."
Guy beamed even larger, "YOSH!"
Not wasting a second, Guy launched into a flurry of attacks. Various kicks and punches were thrown in rapid succession but Manami blocked most them with the sheath over the katana. The few blows that landed on her began to sting as Guy refused to let up on his assault. His attacks were so fast Manami couldn't find an opening to throw in a simple punch.
Manami couldn't guess how much time had passed since the match started. She could feel the bruises increasing with every blow and her blocks were weakening. Guy on the other hand looked like he was just warming up.
Over and over again, Manami tried to make her first move but failed to do anything but absorb the oncoming blows. She even tried to slip behind him but Guy was quick on his feet and aimed a kick backwards. Sensing the change in his muscles, Manami ducked under the kick and shoved Guy's leg upwards, throwing him off balance.
"Ha ha!" Guy exclaimed regaining his balance, "That was a tricky move my dear!"
Manami grinned, "If you liked that, then you'll love this!"
She unsheathed the katana and went for a basic attack combo: stab, swing, and overhead. As she lunged forward, Guy sidestepped the attack and fell into a back-flip when Manami swung horizontally at him. Manami circled the blade over her head and caught the edge of Guy's sleeve as he tried to dodge.
Guy admired the hole in his upper arm. "Very clever!" he shouted. "Now it's my turn!"
Reaching behind his back, Guy pulled out a set of nun-chucks and began expertly spinning them around. He flipped it over his shoulder, around his waist, and under his leg for effect. Manami held the katana up in defense and waited patiently.
"What are you waiting for my dear?!" he shouted.
"I'm not really prone to attacking without cause," Manami admitted bashfully.
Guy let out a hearty laugh. "As good spirited as that is, it won't get you far in a youthful bout such as this!"
Manami saw him shift to the left and prepared for an attack. Guy lunged forward, aiming to knock the katana out of her hands. Manami knocked the nun-chuck aside and the two went at it, trying to knock the other's weapon out of their hands. This time Manami was able to match Guy's speed with the weapon, but she knew it wouldn't last for long. The repeated attacks were slowly wearing her down and Manami still had other rounds after this one. She needed to end this.
*Clank!*
In the blink of an eye, Guy had the nun-chuck chain wrapped around Manami's blade. She didn't even realize she had moved to defend by the time they were locked against each other. Guy tried to yank the katana out of Manami's grip but she tightened her hold, refusing to give in. The two were steadfast in their hold and unwilling to give the other an upper hand.
It was time for a risk. It was a long shot, but if Manami acted quick enough she just might have a chance. Manami turned her ankle inwards, shifting her body sideways to slip the katana out of the nun-chuck's hold. Before Guy could react and with her blade already drawn back, Manami lurched forward, knocking Guy off balance from her sudden advance. The katana pressed against Guy's throat without giving him a chance to recover.
"I win." Manami smirked.
Guy beamed up at her. Grinning from ear to ear he commented, "That you have my dear!"
Manami smiled down at him and offered a hand. Guy graciously accepted her offer and practically bounced back on his feet.
"Now what?" Manmai asked, sheathing the katana.
"Now?" Guy echoed, "Now it's time for your second opponent!"
She looked over her shoulder to where Guy was pointing. Blue eyes meet burning red and Manami felt her body go slack as she fell to her knees.
FIN
Not gonna lie, that was fun. I really enjoyed writing this fight sequence. Can't wait for the next set! Let me know what you guys think, more action or interaction, character depth, blah blah blah stuff like that. Feedback really helps so I know how/what my readers like :)
And thank you everyone who has read thus far (hearts)!
NOTICE: It will probably be another two weeks before I update. Classes are ridiculous this semester and have taken over my life.
Until next time! ~KunoichiBlade