Article 13 - Chapter 10 - A Rival Appears!
Warnings: I do not own Naruto, it's intellectual property is owned by none other than Masashi Kishimoto. I own the OC's that I've added to the story and nothing more.
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Pre-Notes: Spent a bit of time Choreographing the fight, let me know what you guys think of it so I can figure out what kind of style to take in the future!
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I smiled internally. Sasuke would be no match for me but I guess he wanted to see that for himself. I'll show you the vast difference between our knowledge, experience, and skill.
This would be fun.
"YEAH SASUKE, GIVE IT TO HER!" Ino screamed.
Her friends behind her shouted cheers sasuke's way and I had a few supporters of my own, mainly lady Hinata.
We distanced ourselves and both raised a hand with two fingers extended, the sign to initiate a spar. I waited patiently for Iruka-sensei's countdown.
"3! 2! 1! START!"
We moved around a bit circling each other. It would seem we both wanted to feel out the other for our strengths and weaknesses. He closed in bit by bit and threw a punch and I ducked under.
He brought down his elbow, but I caught his tricep. I rotated and opened my hips with a kick and both of our shins met head level. I saw him wince perhaps because my bone density was a bit intensified like I like it unless I'm moving with speed in mind.
I came in with a flurry of palms trying to connect on either shoulder hoping to see weakness in his footwork, but it was fairly sharp and clean. I closed my hand during a strike and hardened my bones in my hand but he slapped my wrist causing it to miss.
He took advantage of how much momentum I used in my strike and kicked a leg out. I jumped into a backflip and he took a quick step forward.
I pulled my off leg's knee into my chest ready to unleash a kick if he got close enough. Now.
He caught the heel of my foot by crossing the thumbs of both hands in a V-formation.
He lifted my foot up and he moved forward moving me into a standing split and I pressed off his hand while sending my other leg into a straight leg kick for his face.
He let go and took a step back.
"Yeah Sasuke! You got her right where you want her!" a girl shouted.
I had to admit. Sasuke's taijutsu was pretty good, I briefly wondered if it would be in bad taste to activate my byakugan.
-But I had no time to wonder. Sasuke was on me looking much more confident prodding me with a barrage of low kicks.
I saw it.
I kicked a foot up to block his kick and lifted my other legs knee up to my chin. I fell downwards and launched a spinning scissor kick to his ankle while holding onto his other leg. My kick didn't connect as he leapt and twisted mid air bringing his heel into my shoulder.
I fell to my butt and he quickly advanced. I propped my body up with both arms and flung both feet at him. I kicked him back and bought myself enough room to jump to my feet. Perhaps it was too much to expect to beat this kid without using my byakugan and gentle fist, and minimal use of Shikotsumyaku.
Eh probably not, he was slowing down a bit and breathing heavy where I wasn't winded in the slightest. I'm far more used to chakra being spiked into my body during combat and long flurries of blocks and strikes. I was certain I had the advantage still.
But It made it a lot harder to read which of his body parts was the true attacks without being able to see where he was sending his chakra. I was initiating read blocking opposed to the prediction blocking that I had worked tirelessly to polish.
I fainted a two hand chest lunge but stopped, instead grabbing both arms as they came up to block.
I leapt from the ground, flexing my hips to rotate as fast as I could, following through and kicking off his chest with both feet. My teeth clenched together as I summoned the strength from my abdominals flipping my legs overhead landing the backflip.
He landed on his back, but rolled his hips overhead into a somersault and was on his feet in no time. He;s eyes glared at me from his crouched position and the crowd around us was all shouting. I didn't know what they were saying and frankly I didn't care. This was fun. This was amazing. Perhaps I should start practicing without my Byakugan more. It added a whole extra level of complexity that my brain thanked me for. I didn't realize it craved this.
Sasuke inched closer and suddenly short hopped, doing a 180 degree rotation, and quickly landing back on both feet. He threw a chest punch... and it stopped before I could catch it. His whole body leaned forward towards me and his pupils danced around soaking it all in. He bent his arm and turned his torso aiming his elbow for right above my knee.
-I caught his tricep with a stiff forearm before the elbow could connect stopping it in place.
I rotated with my leg fully extended locking my ankle in place and swiping his foot from him. He knocked me back with a palm and bought himself enough room to recover.
"She's scary…" I heard but I didn't care. "Look at that smile!"
I could feel the blood circulating in my body… pumping into my muscles and my veins were throbbing. This Adrenalin doped state was a delicacy and I couldn't get enough. I felt amazing of-course I would smile, it's only a natural response?
I jabbed my foot in his direction a few times and his leg bolted out. His foot landed on mine keeping it pinned to the ground. I took a step forward with my other foot and leaned as far forward until I pulled both arms down, launching my knee up with extra momentum.
Sasuke was forced to hop backwards off my foot to gain enough space to catch my knee. As soon as I feel the contact of the block I lean sideways and lift both legs off the ground. I tightened my core and swung my foot up and then drove it down following an elliptical path efficiency.
I felt the top of my foot make contact with something soft and it just kept sinking deeper into it with a *Crack*
I fall to my back and from the corner of my eye I see that he's on his back too.
Horrified gasps from the students crept into my ear but I couldn't understand why.
Sasuke brought both hands behind his shoulders and kicked into the air landing on his feet upright. Hn, a kip up.
I performed the same maneuver and that's when I saw it. Sasuke's nose was offset and was a bit bloodied. "The Ma-" Iruka started.
"-NO!" Sasuke said while extending his hand to Iruka. He reached behind him fumbling at his waist until retrieving a clothespin and clipping it to his nose. "I will continue."
Many of the students face's around us transformed into comical derp looks as if they couldn't even process what was going on.
Sasuke charge me and I kept him at bay by lifting my knee and giving him a few well placed leg extension kicks. He bobbed around some of the kicks and slapped at my ankle. I had the leg strength to not let his slaps effect me as I continued the barrage.
I got him with one on his thigh causing his balance to falter.
I rotate 180 degrees away from him while lifting my plant foot up, falling into my landing on my palms. I flexed and twisted my wrists aiming a kick behind his heel before he could gain his balance.
He thrust both legs up over it narrowly avoiding it by bending backwards onto his hands until my follow through was finished and his feet touched back down.
I leapt up off my knee onto my feet with rehearsed mechanics. My knees were still bent and I thrust my torso sideways, cocking an elbow back while putting all my strength into my jab.
He leaned sideways and lifted his elbow allowing the strike to sail under his arm. His elbow shot down pinching his side and catching my arm in a lock.
I sunk as low as possible straining his hold slinking under him and knee'd the back of his balance foot causing it to bend. Simultaneously I scooped and locked the last foot into the air causing him to fall to his back again. He kicked at me with the foot that was free rolling side to side but I absorbed the shock of his kicks by changing the density in my arm significantly while dragging him around.
I brought my elbow down on his knee but stopped before the hit landed looking to Iruka-sensei.
He shrugged, and that momentary lack of concentration let Sasuke kicked out of my hold. He transitioned into a back handspring and I aggressed to swipe out his stabilizing arm. He picked it off the ground placing his other arm down to hold him upright until landing on his feet.
"You won't win!" He hissed.
He looked pissed and lunged at me with a punch, I caught his wrist with both hands and pulled him off balance exploding forward past him under his arm I held coming out behind him,dragging his weight back with me.
I leapt off both feet and tapped his stabilizing foot while ripping his arm slinging him overhead impacting the ground. I took advantage of his moment of breathlessness and wheezing to lunge at his neck, stopping before contact.
Sasuke's groaned, twitched, and convulsed on the ground.
"How dare you hurt Sasuke like that! YOU MONSTER! … Here Sasuke." Ino said as she extended him an arm.
Sasuke slapped her hand out of his way and struggled to his feet on his own but still slumped over.
Still trying to catch his breath, he punched the ground and clenched his teeth so ferociously I thought they may shatter. He gave me a look of absolute fury. It would appear I made another enemy today… whoops.
He got to his feet and walked up to me slowly.
"Sasuke stop, Mina was the victor." Iruka reprimanded.
"I...know." he said extending his two fingers and closing his eyes.
Oh right, the seal of reconciliation, I had completely forgot.
Our hands embraced in the hold and he opened his eyes looking a fair bit more calm.
"You are just as amazing as I remembered… and you didn't use your byakugan." He said.
"Ya… You were amazing too. That was fun." I said cheerily.
Ino stepped into my face after we let go and added "That was fun for you?! That fight was way too hard for a spar!"
Sasuke's hand extended and clasped onto Ino's shoulder."You'll never get better if you don't push yourself…" He said.
It didn't even look like Ino heard Sasuke's words the way she lit up likely from his touch and she just nodded her head energetically.
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The rest of the day was boring, and when classes finished I remained in my seat until most of the class had left.
"Iruka-sensei?" I asked.
He glanced over and gave me a puzzled look. "Hm?"
"I want to test out of this class and go up one year."
He remained silent for a moment before eventually letting out a sigh. "You are certainly advanced enough to handle the higher leveled courses… but we would need to test you to make sure you have the knowledge to skip past the classes."
I nodded at him energetically until stopping myself thinking that I must look like Ino now.
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I finished up the paper in front of me and stood up from my seat walking over to Iruka-sensei.
"Here it is." I said as he grabbed the paper and began scanning it. He tapped each question with his pen for a moment until moving down the list. This continued until he ran out of questions and looked back up. "Perfect score. I think it wouldn't be any trouble moving you up a year or two, but I will have to discuss it with my superiors. You're free to leave for the day."
"Not two years, One. I only wish to go up one year."
"I see, I'll keep that in mind Mina-san."
Did his eye just twitch?
"Umm… actually, I was hoping I could get granted a pass to enter the medical training library."
"Honestly, I don't know if anything you could say could surprise me anymore." Iruka-sensei groaned. "I'll mention it when I bring up your advancement."
I walked out of the room in one of the best moods of my life. I was wholeheartedly giddy which is not something I could honestly say often. I skipped off for the compound feeling very accomplished today.
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Authors Notes: Zemptai-sama again, I'm not sure how I'm doing with these fight scene so I'd very much welcome suggestions and feedback. I wonder if I'm getting too involved in the technical. Taijutsu fights, I'm sure, are way more fun to watch than to read about. Let me know your guys's opinions.
Enjoy the story and I earnestly ask anyone who is willing to, to write me a review. I will cherish each and every one of them and respond as best as I can. I write so I can share with you guys, and it warms my heart to hear your opinions and interact with the readers.
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